River-Sand Mining: An Ethnography of Resource Conflict in China

Qian Zhu, Ph.D. (1984), is a postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Sociology and Anthropology of Sun Yat-sen University. She has published several articles in Journal of Chinese Overseas, Ecological Economic Review, and Soil & Social Sciences in Guangdong.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of IllustrationsNotes on the Text1 Introduction1.1 A Brief History of River-Sand Mining: A National Perspective1.2 The Current Demand for River Sand in China1.3 The Political Ecology of River-Sand Mining1.4 The Concept of Indigeneity in China1.5 The Zhuang and Their Indigenous Ecological Knowledge1.6 The Objective, Research Questions, and Structure of the Book2 The Research Setting and Conducting Research “at Home”2.1 The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: Human–Environment Relations in Historical Perspective2.2 Qinzhou City, Zhuang Towns, the River, and the Villages2.2.1 Huangwutun Town2.2.2 Xintang Town2.2.3 Six Villages along the Maoling River2.2.3.1 Mei Village: An Example of Agricultural Crisis and Its Impact on Outmigration2.2.3.2 Migrant Workers Who Settle in Urban Areas2.3 Starting Research in Mei Village: Topic Determination during Fieldwork2.4 Methods2.4.1 Choosing the Key Informants2.5 Multiple Positions: Conducting Research “at Home” and Beyond3 The Commodity Chain of River Sand and the Ecological Consequences of River-Sand Mining3.1 The Commodification of River Sand3.1.1 The Increase in River Sand Prices and the Use of New Technology3.2 The Sand Rush along the Maoling River3.2.1 Illegal Sand Miners on the Upper Reaches of the Maoling River3.2.2 Illegal Sand Miners on the Lower Maoling River3.2.2.1 Case Study 1: The Family-Owned Sand Company3.2.2.2 Case Study 2: Changing Status from Worker to Owner3.2.3 The Outsiders and the Insiders: The Boom in Illegal Sand Mining3.2.3.1 Case Study of a Female Miner: No Worry about the Customers3.2.3.2 Case Study of a Local Miner Restarting His Business: Performing a Rite before Mining3.3 The Role of Sand Wholesalers and the Sand Market in the Commodity Chain3.3.1 A Sand Wholesaler in Qinzhou City3.3.2 The Sand Market in Nanning City3.3.3 Truck and Ship Owners3.4 The Ecological Consequences of Sand Commodification3.4.1 Loss of Fish Species3.4.2 Water Pollution3.4.3 Destruction of Riverbanks and Adjacent Farmlands3.4.4 Loss of Life3.4.5 Damage to Infrastructure: Roads and Bridges3.5 Conclusion4 Government Policies and the Commodification of River Sand4.1 Project-based Development and Its Role in the Marketization of Sand4.2 Urbanization in Formerly Rural Areas4.2.1 The Incorporation of Rural Areas into Large Cities4.2.2 Rapidly Expanding Towns4.2.3 Rebuilding the Administrative Committee’s Offices4.2.4 Private House Construction in Rural Areas4.3 Infrastructural Projects in Rural Areas4.3.1 Water Conservation4.3.2 Two Case Studies of the “One Project, One Discussion System”4.3.2.1 Case Study 1: A 390-meter Cement Road Project in Mei Village in 20124.3.2.2 Case Study 2: A 220-meter Cement Road Project in Mei Village in 20154.4 The Counterproductive Aspects of the Project System in Villages4.5 Conclusion5 State Ownership and the Governmental Management of River Sand5.1 Laws Governing River-Sand Mining and the State Ownership of River Sand5.2 Horizontal Politics in the Governance of River-Sand Mining5.3 Vertical Politics in the Governance of River-Sand Mining5.4 Sand-Management Policies at the Provincial Level: Power Decentralization and Autonomy5.5 River-Sand Auctions at the Prefectural Level: Sand-Mining Licensing in Practice5.5.1 The Deceptive Success of Auctions of Sand-Mining Licenses5.5.2 The Effects of Corruption and Mismanagement on the Sand-Mining License System5.6 The (Non-)Governance of River Sand at the Township Level: A Lack of Authority5.7 Discussion and Conclusion6 Zhuang Villages’ Perspectives on Property Rights “This is Our Sand”6.1 The Emergence of Sand “Thieves” and Ownership Problems6.2 The “Blame Game” and the Complexity of Rights on the Commons6.3 Selling Sand on the Instructions of Government Officials6.4 Selling Sand to Defend a Village’s Right to Common Resources6.5 An Illegal Sand Agreement and Its Implications6.6 Discussion and Conclusion7 The Sociocultural Consequences of Illegal Sand Mining and Local Resistance7.1 Consequences for Agricultural Livelihoods7.2 Social Conflicts and Local Resistance against Sand Mining7.2.1 Resistance through Throwing Stones7.2.2 Resistance through Appealing to Formal Government Channels7.2.3 Resistance through Petitioning7.2.4 Resistance through Social Media7.3 Sand Exploitation and Its Impact on Indigenous Belief Systems7.3.1 Case One: The Supernatural Punishment of Violators7.3.2 Case Two: The Infestation of Gods’ Trees by Insects7.3.3 Case Three: The Death of Some Elders7.4 Discussion and Conclusion8 ConclusionReferencesIndex