Environmental protection NGOs are suffering from a shortage of funds and low membership while many are simply too small to have an impact, a recent survey has revealed.

There were 2,768 environmental protection NGOs in China at the end of last year, with a total membership of 224,000, said the survey, released by the All-China Environment Federation (ACEF) on Saturday.

Government departments and student volunteers initiated more than 90 percent of these groups but just over 20 percent had registered with the authorities.

A membership system is widely used as a fundraising method but more than 70 percent do not have fixed income sources.

The scale of NGOs in China has been found to be small: There are less than 70,000 full-time staff involved and nearly 30 percent of the groups only have part-timers. 

Because of lack of funds, about half of the full-time staff are unpaid, and many lack appropriate insurance.

About 80 percent of NGO members are under 30 and more than 90 percent of their leaders have a college or higher degree.

More than 95 percent of the members say they do the work solely for the environment and not to make money.

In 2005 nearly 3 billion yuan (US$370 million) was raised by these NGOs.

Wang Yuqing, deputy director of the State Environment Protection Administration (SEPA), said that the survey would help them understand more about NGOs and make better use of them in the future.

The survey, conducted by ACEF, one of the six NGOs under SEPA, sent a clear signal to all environmental protection NGOs that they are encouraged to work closely with SEPA, he said.

"Our relationship should not be based on opposition but rather be cooperative and complementary," he said.

He also encouraged NGOs not to linger on general appeals but instead make in-depth investigations and then put forward feasible suggestions.

Pan Yue, also a deputy director of SEPA, said greater public participation in environmental protection was always welcome.

SEPA will increase the level of openness of environmental information and democratization in the policy-making process, Pan said at the 2006 Earth Award Ceremony in Beijing last Friday.

"SEPA always encourages environment lawsuits for the public benefit and always tries to act on the recommendations of the public and NGOs," he said.

Ten individuals from three groups were given this year's Earth Awards for their  contributions in time and money to environmental causes.

Initiated by the China Forum of Environmental Journalists in 1997, several hundred people have received the award, the highest there is to honor people from all walks of life who have made prominent contributions to protecting the environment. .

(China Daily April 24, 2006)