Tibet’s ecology better preserved with concerted efforts
The Tibet autonomous region has listed half of its land area under the scope of an ecological protection red line, environmental authorities said at a news conference in the regional capital Lhasa in early October.
The ecological protection red lines cannot be crossed and are located in areas with critically important ecological functions that should be strictly protected.
Since 2012, the region has spent over 12.7 billion yuan ($1.77 billion) on various types of ecological protection projects, according to the regional ecological department.
The region’s overall ecosystems remain stable and the environment is being constantly improved. Tibet is a region with one of the world’s best environmental qualities, according to Shui Yanping, deputy head of the department.
Over the past decade, the region has achieved all-around progress in ecological improvement and environmental protection, Shui said.
In 2021, the region’s forest coverage rate reached 12.3%, and the comprehensive vegetation coverage of grassland grew to 47.1%, she added.
The population of rare wild animals has also seen a restorative increase. The population of the black-necked crane, a first-class national protection species in China, has increased from less than 3,000 in 1995 to over 10,000, while the number of Tibetan antelopes has increased to more than 300,000.
Over the past decade, significant strides have been made in pollution prevention and control, with 99% of days in recent years classified as having “good” air quality in the region’s seven cities and prefectures. Water quality in key rivers and lakes has reached or exceeded Class III in China’s five-tier surface water quality classification system.
The improvements in ecological environment are a
result of the efforts made by both the governments and residents.
Tenzin Tsering, a ranger in Buchu township of Nyingchi city, said nature and wildlife have received better protection in recent years thanks to a series of ecological protection policies and measures implemented by the local forestry and grassland bureau.
Working as a ranger in his home township, Tenzin Tsering
regularly patrols the forest, the mountains and along the rivers with his colleagues to ensure the wild animals are not hunted and the natural environment is not deliberately damaged as a result of human activities.
“Today, people in our places no longer hunt or log,” said Tenzin Tsering. “Most people are highly aware of our ecological protection efforts. The rural villagers no longer have to rely on hunting and logging to meet their basic living needs.
“Nowadays, the government pays great attention to environmental protection, and the villagers have been reminded not to cross the red lines of environmental protection from multiple channels,” he said.
“Thanks to the efficient protection efforts by the government and our fellow villagers, our hometown remains an unpolluted and beautiful place that is enriched with abundant natural resources.”
Tenzin Tsering said the improving environment has brought substantial benefits to residents.
“The growing vegetation coverage is now effectively curbing desertification in the region, protecting farmlands and settlements from being threatened by sandstorms,” he said. “The increasing coverage also means the stable increase in runoff volume of rivers and streams, which provide crucial irrigation water for farmlands.”
The environmental protection undertakings are also creating new jobs for residents.
“In Nyingchi, there are thousands of people like me working on various posts for environmental protection and we are offered stable incomes by the governments,” Tenzin Tsering said.
Tenzin Tsering said he is paid more than 3,000 yuan a month for his job patrolling the forests.