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The AIRI Urban-Rural Sustainability Action Proposal Competition was successfully completed in September 2023 as part of the “Rural Sustainability Programme – APAC Initiative for Regional Impact” (AIRI) initiated by HKU in collaboration with Tsinghua University, Chengchi University, Asian Institute of Technology. AIRI is one of the 10 signature projects under the 40th anniversary of The Hongkong Bank Foundation.

Fellows who have completed the AIRI Urban-Rural Sustainability Fellowship 2022-23 are invited to participate in the competition to create sustainability impact for the rural areas by incorporating the knowledge and skills they developed during the fellowship. At this year competition, a total of 20 proposals were received from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan and Thailand. They were tasked to create a proposal to address the rural sustainability challenges and enhance community resilience with a holistic and innovative approach. Four assessment criteria were used for the examination: 1) Contribution to the sustainable development of rural communities; 2) Creativity, innovation and originality; 3) Feasibility of the solution; and 4) Capability of the team.

The Regional Panels consisted of panellists from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, or Thailand with expertise in rural revitalisation and community development. For the Final Pitching, nine proposals were shortlisted. The finalists subsequently enhanced their proposals for the Judging Panel’s further review, which was composed of invited judges from Stockholm Environment Institute, Taiwan University, International Poverty Reduction Center in China, International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative, and HSBC. The Judging Panel selected one winning proposal from each of the four regions on the Final Pitching Day. The winning proposals are as follows and each winning team will receive a seed grant of up to US$25,000 for project implementation.

The best proposal from Hong Kong was “Discover Rural Living Culture—Exploration of Rural Sustainable Development in Hong Kong” (Project leader: XING Wenwei Olivia). It aims to utilise the social capital of a long-established restaurant in a traditional village, Sheung Tsuen, to promote rural tourism, history preservation and agriculture development. The project team will document the village’s oral history stories, and develop a rural restaurant guide, a rural tourism guide, and a local agriculture product network.

The best proposal from Mainland China was “Nanjian Tiaocha” (Project leader: MAO Enhui). It aims to harness the Yi ethnic culture of “Dish-Serving Dances” to empower the development of the tea industry in Nanjian, Yunnan. The project team will create a brand IP of “Nanjian Tea Dance” and sell “Tea Dance” products on live streaming platforms. This plan adopts a “Government + Enterprise + Tea Farmers” model to establish deep connections among multiple stakeholders.

The best proposal from Taiwan was “Seaside Village Revitalisation Information Service Center: A case design for the travel route in Turtle Island Village Community” (Project leader: HUANG ChienTu). It aims to promote sustainable tourism and cultural inheritance for Turtle Island in Yilan by establishing an information platform that integrates coastal lifestyle information, promotes friendly interactions with tourists, enhances tourists’ understanding of the fishing village resources, and creates opportunities for value co-creation.

The best proposal from Thailand was “Saving Roots & Routes: The Hua Ta Khe Community Regeneration Project” (Project leader: Siwarat PATTANASRI). It aims to boost the sustainability and livability of Hua Ta Khe, Bangkok. The project team will strengthen the tourism route scenery through launching a contest that raises awareness and engages local citizens in the planning process. It will also design and promote eco-friendly travel routes, and reinstate traditional farming activities while introducing low-carbon methods.

In addition to the four winners, other finalists included:

• Shell-we-connect: Advancing Oyster Networks, Industry, and Open Water Resources in Lau Fau Shan (Hong Kong)
• Future Village Innovation Lab (Mainland China)
• Panda.Ba: A community-based nature education project of Guanba Village in the National Park (Mainland China)
• Mkmatuy Sustainability Plan (Taiwan)
• Youth Empowerment through Green Agriculture (YEGA) for rural revitalization in the Thai Berng community, Ban Khok Salung subdistrict, Lopburi Province, Thailand (Thailand)

The list of winners and finalists can also be found at: https://ccsg.hku.hk/airi/competition-winners-and-finalists

The Hongkong Bank Foundation has partnered with the Centre for Civil Society and Governance of The University of Hong Kong since 2013. The collaboration started from supporting the award-winning sustainable development of Lai Chi Wo via the HSBC Rural Sustainability Programme. In 2021, HSBC celebrated the 40th anniversary of The Hongkong Bank Foundation. It donated HKD140 million to 10 community projects which focused on creating better environment and enhancing climate resilience, easing hardship and improving quality of life, and future skills development.

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For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms Sianna Yiu, Centre for Civil Society and Governance, HKU (Tel.: 3917-4910; Email: sianna@hku.hk)

About APAC Initiative for Regional Impact (AIRI):
Building on the success of the Sustainable Lai Chi Wo (2013-2017) and HSBC Rural Sustainability (2017-2022) programmes which have demonstrated the viability and merits of a community-based, integrated approach to rural revitalisation as a solution to sustainability challenges, the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at HKU launched the APAC Initiative for Regional Impact (AIRI). Supported by The Hongkong Bank Foundation, AIRI has established a regional consortium comprised of HKU, Tsinghua University, Chengchi University and Asian Institute of Technology for knowledge co-creation and exchange. A core part of AIRI is the Urban-Rural Sustainability Fellowship 2022-23, which has trained over 80 Fellows and Associate Fellows for rural sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region. To find out more information about AIRI, please visit: https://ccsg.hku.hk/airi/

About the Centre for Civil Society and Governance, HKU:
Established in December 2002, the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (the Centre) strives to enhance our knowledge of civil society and its contribution towards good governance, and to facilitate the attainment of a sustainable society through forging community-based, innovative solutions to inform policy deliberation and collective actions. The work of the Centre is organised around three Labs—the Policy for Sustainability Lab (PSL), the Social Entrepreneurship and Civic Action Lab (SECAL), and the Nonprofits and Philanthropy Lab (NPPL); each of them representing a research focus and an area of excellence of the Centre. To find out more information about the Centre, please visit: https://ccsg.hku.hk/