China's Tibet Autonomous Region plans to double its efforts for environmental protection over the next five years.
Projects Under Plan
Ecological Protection Reserves to Be Established
According to the local Environmental Protection Department, two ecological protection reserves are to be established around the sources of Yarlung Zangbo and Lhasa rivers, respectively, between 2001 and 2005.
Impact of Tourism to Be Put Under Watch
Meanwhile, the impact of tourism on the local environment will be put under a close watch, and problems concerning farming and stock breeding will be tackled in a comprehensive way.
Governmental Functions to Be fulfilled
Relevant Laws & Regulations to Be Made
As more efforts are being made in the improvement of relevant laws and regulations, stepped-up surveillance is scheduled to avoid depleting natural resources, including minerals, wildlife species, grassland, forests, water and soil.
Remote Surveillance System to Be Established
The autonomous region also plans to establish a dynamic remote surveillance and service system to secure the soundness of the local biological environment.
Priority will be given to the state-level ecological demonstration area around Lhasa and the grassland ecological demonstration area in Nagqu Prefecture.
Long-term Goal Worked out
By 2010, the area of the region's ecological protection reserves is scheduled to reach three million hectares, of which some 1.1 million hectares are demonstration areas.
Besides, some 55,000 hectares of land suffering from soil erosion and desertification will be harnessed.
Despite having the best ecological environment in the world, Tibet has a very delicate ecosystem. Increasing human activities and global climate changes have exposed Tibet to new environmental dangers, such as the expanding ozonosphere, desertification of grassland, drying up of lakes and industrial pollution.
( November 26, 2001)
