Ecovillages in China are typically rural communities designed to promote ecological, cultural, economic, and social sustainability, in concert with the natural environment of a particular area. These are small human settlements with a community-based approach designed by the community themselves. Ecovillages are not completely isolated from other settlements, although they aspire to increased self-sufficiency.
Overview
Definitions Many scholars have proposed different definitions of ecovillages. However, the primary accepted definition of an ecovillage is an intentional village that has a focus on sustainability.
The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) defines ecovillages as an intentional, traditional, or urban community that incorporates the four dimensions of sustainability to rebuild and regenerate the social and natural environment.
Robert Gilman is a thinker on sustainability whose work is instrumental in defining the ecovillage movement, as well as influencing the direction of the GEN purpose. Gilman defines ecovillages as a human-scale, full-featured settlement that incorporates human activities with the natural world in a harmless and sustainable manner that is supportive of human development while also being able to be continued into the indefinite future.
Diana Michelle Fischetti is the author of "Building Resistance from Home: Ecovillage at Ithaca as a Model of Sustainable Living". In her book, she defines ecovillages as "an intentional community whose members strive to live in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner, to practice voluntary simplicity, and to cultivate meaning, life satisfaction, and fulfillment."
Kosha Anja Joubert (former executive director of GEN) works around the world to help develop strategy and outreach in relation to GEN through methods such as curriculum development, training teams, international collaboration, and sustainable development. She defines ecovillages as a "way to rebuild fragmented villages and communities, establish new groups and enterprises and heal the wounds of conflict and social division…".
Top Down vs Bottom Up Eco-villages in China can generally be categorized as top-down or bottom-up. Top-down villages receive funding and organization from the government, whereas bottom-up villages are founded by community members. Most Western theories about ecovillages generally only focus on bottom-up villages. Unlike ecovillages in many other countries, top-down ecovillages in China are generally more common than bottom-up ecovillages. In the development of top-down villages, the main goal is to satisfy the criteria of the ecovillage assessment standards set by the government (see sections on government involvement and evaluation criteria).
Ecovillage Organizations in China These organizations are not sponsored by the Chinese government and promote the formation of bottom-up villages.
The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) works to connect ecovillages from around the world that share three common core practices. These include: being rooted in local participatory practices, integrating different types of sustainability in an approach to sustainable development, and being active in restoring and regenerating the natural environment in which they are located. Approximately 10,000 communities and/or projects are associated with this organization. Within the GEN Oceania & Asia branch (GENOA), there are 11 villages or learning projects affiliated with GENOA within China and Taiwan. Ecovillages help countries as well as local towns and communities to better implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Agreements.
The Sunshine Ecovillage Network (三生谷) was created in 2015 and is based at the Sunshine Ecovillage in Hangzhou, China. They help to promote and educate the public about the ecovillage movement in China and their goal is to sponsor the development of 100 ecovillages in China by 2020. The Sunshine Ecovillage Network is a member of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the China Ecovillage Network (CEN).
History The concept of an ecovillage was first conceptualized in Sweden at an international conference about sustainable communities in 1995. The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) was also created during this same meeting as a way to build a community of sustainable villages and ecovillages from around the globe.
Urbanization Multiple factors have contributed to increase interest in sustainable rural development in China. In response to the reform and opening up, the proportion of Chinese people who live in rural areas declined. In particular, working-age people left to find higher-paying employment in cities, while children and elderly people remained in rural areas. This, in turn, led to multiple negative impacts on rural communities, including abandoned farmland and rural hollowing. Rural hollowing is a process whereby deteriorating structures at the center of a village are gradually abandoned and new structures are constructed at the periphery of the village. Ecovillages are seen as a logical step to address these issues while promoting environmental sustainability.
Climate Change Ecovillages can help to play a significant role in ecosystem development and restoration. Ecovillages aim to operate on the least amount of negative impact on the environment through the collective efforts of the local peoples' lifestyle choices and the physical design on the land. Not only do they aim to reduce their carbon footprint, but also work to help to restore the local environment. These villages help to restore water sources and cycles, the local soil, and the local ecosystem. Food system sustainability is also another important aspect of ecovillages. A significant portion of the food is grown from the land itself through processes such as permaculture or biodynamic farming. Energy systems are also sustainable and utilize power sources such as solar or wind energy, renewable biomass, hydroelectric power, and geothermal energy systems.
Government Involvement In response to the issues of urbanization and climate change, the Chinese government has promoted the formation of ecovillages according to multiple official standards set forth by government agencies, including: National Eco-village Construction Standard, National Demonstration Eco-village Construction Indicators, Guide for Construction of Beautiful Countryside, and Evaluation for the Construction of Beautiful Villages (see section below).
These initiatives are in line with the broader economic goals of the Chinese government. The Chinese government is steadily moving towards incorporating more environmentally sustainable ideals within their decision and policy making. The government's climate goals, including the most recently approved 14th 5 Year Plan encompassing years 2021 to 2025, seek to focus on the combination of "sustained and healthy economic development" and "obvious improvements in quality and efficiency". The 14th 5 Year Plan also lists two new environmental goals of food and energy security. As part of these plans, the government planned to create 8000 new ecovillages. The goals of these plans include "rural development and agriculture modernization" as well as rural revitalization more broadly.
Multiple slogans related to valuing the natural environment and rural revitalization have been used as part of the justification for ecovillage development. The slogan "clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as gold and silver mountains" (Chinese: 綠水青山就是金山银山) was coined by Xi Jinping to promote ecological civilization in 2005. It has since been used as justification for the importance of ecovillage development.
Assessment Methods Multiple evaluation methods have been created and used to assess the effectiveness of ecovillage projects in China. Evaluation methods may consider ecological, social, and economic aspects. Assessment Name Year Organization/AgencyGuide to Assessment of Beautiful Countryside Construction2015General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China & Standardization Administration of ChinaNational Eco-village Construction Standard (Pilot)2006Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of ChinaNational Demonstration Eco-village Construction Indicators2014Ministry of Ecology and Environment of ChinaEvaluation for the Construction of Beautiful Villages2018Standardization Administration of ChinaBREEAM Communities Assessment1990Building Research Establishment (charitable organization)Ecovillage Impact Assessment ToolGlobal Ecovillage Network
BREEAM Communities Assessment BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) community assessment is a tool for evaluating the sustainability of a neighborhood. It is meant to be used during the planning phases of development, and it was originally designed for use in the UK. A 2020 study assessed the potential of the BREEAM communities tool as a way to evaluate bottom-up Chinese ecovillages using 3 GEN-registered ecovillages.
Some experts say that one shortcoming of the BREEAM method is that its evaluation occurs only at a single time point, so it fails to capture whether a village is thriving or in decline. Additionally, a major goal of many Chinese ecovillages is to reclaim farmland and conduct sustainable agricultural practices, but the BREEAM Communities assessment does not assess farming. Also, many Chinese ecovillages renovate old buildings, whereas the BREEAM Communities assessment is more geared toward the construction of new sustainable buildings. Another problem is that as the standard of living in ecovillages improves, electricity use tends to increase, while the BREEAM Communities assessment prioritizes low electricity consumption.
GEN Ecovillage Assessment Tool GEN's ecovillage assessment tool is based on the United Nations Sustainable Development goals, which fit into 17 categories: no poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry innovation and architecture, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions, and partnerships for the goals.
GEN invites people who live in the ecovillage to fill out a survey, and results are compiled on their public website as a "personal assessment." Additionally, a "collective assessment" is completed on behalf of the entire village. Under each broad goal, the survey asks whether specific activities are undertaken. In addition, participants are asked to assess their alignment with certain goals on a scale of 1–10. One example is, "We promote local and regional food security by growing our own food and seeds." These results are then used to assess the village's achievement of each of the UN Sustainable Development goals on a scale of 1–10.
The Southern Life Community ecovillage has completed this assessment.
Government Assessments Guidelines set for ecovillages by the Chinese government, such as the Evaluation for the Construction of Beautiful Villages, are highly influential in the priorities of new ecovillage developments. Many local leaders seek to get their villages approved as ecovillages to help meet goals for the construction of new ecovillages set by the government. One criticism of ecovillage standards set by the Chinese government is that these standards focus on per capita income and neglect to evaluate the social sustainability of these developments.
Evaluation for Construction of Beautiful Villages (ECBV) Assessment