China will soon establish the country’s first highland wetland nature reserve at Namco, in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
Namco Lake, which is 70 km long and 30 km wide, is the second largest saltwater lake in China and the highest lake in the world with an elevation of 4,718 meters. It nestles between the Tanggula Mountain and Northern Tibet grassland.
Establishment of the nature reserve is of great importance to maintaining the wetland ecological system and adjusting the climate at Namco. It will also help maintain sustainable development and develop tourism in the region.
A comprehensive scientific survey team, consisting of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the regional forest and tourism departments of Tibet, are conducting a round-the-lake investigation.
(People’s Daily 10/22/2000)
