Y. Song

May 9, 2007

Research Scholar Yajie Song initiated the Collaborative Urban Environmental Crisis Management Research Project (UECM) as PI, his mentor Professor William Burch of Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (FES) as Co-PI along with their Chinese colleagues in China in August, 2006. Since established at FES and approved by Yale Grants and Contracts in late 2006, the UECM research has progressed steadily with the effort of over 40 Chinese researchers and college students from 12 municipal government agencies, research institutions and universities in Tianjin, Dongying, Weifang, Suzhou, Fuding and Shenzhen. The Chinese Version of Urban Environmental Crisis Management, co-edited by Y. Song and J. Li, will be published in May 2007 by China Science Press while its English version, co-edited by Y. Song, J. Li and W. Burch whom agreed to join the English version editing team as Co-PI, will be published by the same press later this year.

Two research papers “the Urban Environmental Crisis Management-cases of US and Asia with focus on social issues” (Y. Song) by Nankai University Press in Dec. 2005 and the “the Environment and Sustainable Development Leadership Principles” (ESDLP, Y. Song & J. Gordon) by Tongji University Press in Sept 2006 were published. A recent paper “the Background and Framework of the Urban Environmental Crisis Management (城市环境危机管理研究的背景和基本框架)” by Y. Song and Z. Yuan in Chinese was accepted by the Chinese Journal the Crisis Management China.

In spite of the general research proposal, five specific tracks have been put forth as follows: 1) Yellow River Estuary Ecosystem Protection and UECM in Dongying, Shandong, China; 2) Weifang Coast Industrial Park and UECM , Shandong, China; 3) Arc-GIS Expert System and UECM in Suzhou, , China; 4) Sangmei Hurricane of 2006 in Fuding, Fujian, China, compared to Katrina Hurricane of 2005 in New Orleans, LA, USA; 5) Urban ecosystem restoration and endangered watershed management in Longgang district and Dapeng Peninsula, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. All these research details are available for review and further discussion.

Eight research papers on the 5 tracks above are planned and will be sent to renowned academic journals during the academic year 2008-2009. Another book based on the UECM research findings of case studies and comparative studies will be published in 2009. 

The UECM research project was carried out in the face of increasing urban environmental crises in China. Based on four Chinese urban regions from the north to the south and their neighboring watersheds, the project intends to bridge China’s Scientific Development Approach (SDA) and the Human Ecosystem Framework (HEF). The Chinese SDA highlights sustainable development, a harmonious and environmental friendly society, and people-oriented public and private policies. A paper summarizing the SDA-HEF correlation based on a compilation of surveys, with the support from International Strategic Research Center of the China Communist Centre Party School, will be published this coming summer, and it is expected to refine the UECM theory in China.

As the UECM research advances, lectures and trainings to strengthen the understanding of the participants about urban environmental crises and their management and develop an array of professional stuff in UECM are simultaneously enhanced: several UECM lectures have been provided by Dr. Y. Song to Yale-Tsinghua Environment & Sustainable Development Leadership Program (ESDLP, 2004, 2005 and 2006 with W. Burch and other Yale faculty) in Beijing China; to over 50 Chinese mayors nationwide; and to Asia-Pacific Leadership Programme on Environment for Sustainable Development organized by the UNEP-Tongji IESD from 2004, 2005 to 2006 with honor and received two Certification of Appreciation form the organizers in 2005 and 2006. Besides, as adjunct faculty, either senior research scholar or professor, with Tsinghua (2002-present); Tongji (2002-present); Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (2006-present), Lanzhou University (1996-present) as well as Tianjin University of Technology (2006-present), Dr. Y. Song offered totally 16 lectures to faculty, graduate and undergraduate students of these universities during the year of 2006. At Yale, Dr. Song also presented a lecture to eight professors from Chinese Communist Party Centre School in November 2006. Meanwhile, the UECM Research in China will continue executive training programs in China after our three successful sessions in Beijing, Tianjin and Shenzhen lay the groundwork for it in urban environmental crisis management. Professor William R. Burch, Jr, Director Colleen Murphy-Dunning of Yale Hixon Center of Urban Ecology and Dr. Yajie Song will attend this year’s Shenzhen UECM 2007 Mayor Forum and address to Chinese mayors and deputy mayors from over 50 cities and other relevant organizations and institutions.

A remarkable trait of the UECM research is the fact that it opens the research opportunities and challenges to the younger generation of China and marks an important milestone in the Chinese research history in this point. The Yale UECM research group consists of over 40 Chinese research experts and 24 dedicated college students, both undergraduates and graduates from Tsinghua University, Nankai University, Lanzhou University, Tianjin University of Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology and other universities in China. The students voluntarily work for this research and formed their own research group called the Environment Task Team or ETT. They bear most of the literature survey, data collection, and translation of the first UECM book from Chinese into English. Four of them continued their graduate studies at Yale and other US universities and five more have been accepted by US universities this year.

In addition to above research initiatives, a fundraising strategy for Yale’s UECM research in China has been initiated throughout the project’s advancement to seek and obtain funding sources not just from the wealthier western countries, but primarily from China itself. Up until now, about one-third of the project’s 1.5 million USD budget has been committed for the duration of five years from 2007 to 2012. The UECM research grant contributors consist of Tianjin government, the urban environmental protection bureaus of Shenzhen and Suzhou, environmental friendly enterprises such as Shenzhen JW Solar Ltd. etc, and universities such as Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology and Lanzhou University. A recent trust contract leading to another 200,000 USD is pending review by Yale G&C administration and the University’s legal counselors.

Last month, China Association of Mayors (CAM), and Yale UECM research project agreed to co-host the China Urban Environmental Crisis Management (UECM) 2007 Mayor Forum in Shenzhen, China during June 10-13, 2007. CAM has invited 200 Chinese city mayors while our Yale UECM project invited about 40 major Chinese cities whose mayors attended the Yale-Tsinghua Environment & Sustainable Development Leadership Program (ESDLP, 2003-2006). This event will be a major academic research and research exchange in the area of China’s urban environmental crisis management and controls. During this forum, a new research of “the collaborative urban resource & environment initiative, or UREI, will be discussed and expected to set up a much more solid and positive research base for the UECM and other urban environmental researches of Yale FES and China.

The Collaborative Urban Environmental Crisis Management (UECM) Research in China has already made and will continue to accomplish tangible and important achievements. It will result in the creation of a strong of research team, a consummate index evaluation system, a set of methods and case models in urban environmental crisis management. It is tailored to Chinese needs including the translation and dissemination of UECM texts in both Chinese and English, case studies based on Chinese experiences, and cutting edge articles in Chinese on UECM in China.

Less tangible accomplishments include a set of person-to-person relationships and a further understanding by Chinese of environmental crisis challenges. Most crucially, by researching the UECM in China, a cohort of professionals, educators and leaders that can make the best of the tools and findings of this field and better face the challenge of urban environmental crises will be developed Though this project by itself will not eliminate all environmental crises, it can turn China’s rapid economic growth into an opportunity for better treating with urban environmental crisis control and making overall urban environmental improvement. It is also an important step in the right direction toward the goal of “people-oriented” and “environment-friendly” harmonious society.

For more information, please contact Dr. Yajie Song, Research Scholar & Principal Investigator at: (203) 436-4804, yajie.song@yale.edu.