A nationwide survey of China's environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) aims to provide data for a government white paper, part of which will address how the NGOs are funded.

"It is the first time the country has carried out such an in-depth survey," said Zeng Xiaodong, secretary of the All-China Environmental Federation (ACEF), which will conduct the study. "As of now there has not been a complete and accurate report about NGOs working to solve environmental problems in China."

The Green Volunteers' Union of Chongqing Municipality in southwest China, one of the NGOs surveyed, illustrates some of the funding issues.

"When we were set up, what we lacked most was money," said Wu Dengming, the Green Volunteers' Union's current director. "At that time, the person who could donate 30,000 yuan (US$3,700) to the union would assume the post of director, even if he or she was not knowledgeable about environmental issues.

"And because of the shortage of funds, we even suspended our operations for two years."

But the group established its reputation when it reported to China Central Television (CCTV) that the government, in preparing land on which to build a factory, was felling primeval forest in western Sichuan Province. The CCTV report helped stop the cutting.

Zhou Zhizhong, deputy secretary of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, also expressed his group's difficulty in getting funds. Domestic green groups should publicize details of expenditure from donations they receive from overseas on their websites, he added.

A sociology professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing told China Daily in March that many domestic environmental NGOs are largely dependent on funds from overseas.

Another part of the survey will focus on the basic conditions of the NGOs and their difficulties.

ACEF also said it plans to establish a directory of environmental NGOs to foster better communications.

It is expected that connections between NGOs can be strengthened for future co-operation on environmental issues. Survey results will be passed to experts to work out solutions to the NGOs' difficulties and improve their capabilities, Zeng said. Representatives from other environmental NGOs also put forward their suggestions for the survey.

Li Li from Global Village of Beijing said progress of the survey should be publicized on the Internet to update both Chinese and foreign environmentalists.

Liang Xiaoyan of the Beijing Brooks Education Centre suggested ACEF collect influential cases by NGOs and share successful experiences after the survey is finished.

An official from the State Environmental Protection Administration said the survey could help governmental organizations attract greater public participation in environmental issues. Currently, there are about 2,000 registered environmental NGOs in China and some 200 environmental NGOs from overseas working in the country.

(China Daily September 28, 2005)