Haitang village in Yunnan Province of Southwestern China, because of its potential for economic opportunity, was identified by the Global Institute for Tomorrow (GIFT) as the location for its Global Young Leaders Programme in August 2006. During the two-week event, twenty corporate executives helped villagers to develop a viable business plan based on further provision of production-related infrastructure, by acquiring marketing expertise, and by putting in place systems to manage its natural resource base in a sustainable way so that future generations can continue to benefit.

As is the case in many impoverished villages in Western China, Haitang lacks basic infrastructure and marketing expertise, thereby limiting its ability to harness the full value of its

Using the business plan, GIFT subsequently secured funds of RMB170,000 for the construction of a much needed water supply system for domestic and livestock use, which was completed in late 2007. This scheme delivers spring water from a mountainous water source directly to the homes of villagers, as well as irrigating up to 1,000 acres of farm land. At least 65 households now benefit from running water supplies.

The availability of water has opened up more possibilities for cash cropping which yields better returns than growing staple crops. Crop yields are also projected to increase 10-15 percent on average as a result of the scheme. Animal husbandry also benefits, as improved access to water.

Rather than being a charity project, the irrigation scheme is based on a partnership arrangement between GIFT and the villagers of Haitang. To match GIFT’s funds, each household voluntarily contributed about 300-500 RMB to install plastic extension pipes from their households to nearby fields for irrigation.

Haitang farmers are already starting to benefit from the scheme, and its advantages will become even more evident in the dry season when water becomes a critical factor to maintain levels of farming activities.

In the spirit of cooperation, some households have taken it upon themselves to irrigate one another’s fields as often the locations of crop fields are not directly adjacent to the owners’  households. Usage is monitored by water meter readings, and at the end of each month families settle their water bills with one another. This mutually beneficial arrangement - and the fact that community members have an agreement in place to cover maintenance and hydraulic pump fees – show that Haitang households have the capacity and the social responsibility to effectively manage its community water scheme.  The irrigation scheme represents the start of many other initiatives that GIFT is undertaking in Haitang. Together with the villagers and with the help of CMES (its NGO partner in Yunnan), and Haitang, GIFT is looking at an initiative to certify Haitang’s forest products as organic for export to overseas markets, where the demand for organic foods is surging. This partnership enterprise will not only bring further economic prosperity to Haitang village, but also serve as a replicable model of commerce-driven sustainable development in the ecologically and culturally diverse areas of Southwestern China.