SCIO briefing on economic and social development of Tibet autonomous region
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E-mail China.org.cn, June 4, 2021
CRNTT:
As we all know, as the mainstay of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Tibet has a vulnerable and fragile ecological environment with an average altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level. What measures have been taken to protect the ecological environment of Tibet? What achievements have been made? Thank you.
Wu Yingjie:
The ecological environment of Tibet is of great concern to everyone. The CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to ecological and environmental protection in Tibet. The eco-environmental issue in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is an indispensable part in General Secretary Xi Jinping's remarks on eco-environmental protection. As General Secretary Xi said at the Seventh Central Symposium on Tibet Work, conserving the ecology of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the greatest contribution to the survival and development of the Chinese nation. It requires us to take a responsible attitude toward the history, the people and the world, placing the ecological progress in a more prominent position.
As we all know, the protection of wildlife, rivers and mountains in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is highly relevant to all countries in Asia, rather than being solely an issue for China. Many major rivers originate in Tibet, including the Yarlung Zangbo River, Nujiang River, Jinsha River, Lancang River and many others. Guided by Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Progress, we have always regarded ecological and environmental protection as being of the utmost importance. As I mentioned before, first, we are improving all kinds of institutional systems. Over 60 rules and regulations represented by the Regulations on Protecting Environment in Tibet Autonomous Region have been released. These also include opinions on constructing national ecological security shields and promoting ecological conservation. On Jan. 24, lawmakers in the Tibet autonomous region passed the region's first comprehensive regulations on ecological conservation, Regulations on Developing Ecological Highlands in Tibet Autonomous Region, which came into effect on May 1.
Second, we are taking concrete actions to protect the ecological environment in Tibet. The concept of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature has been deeply rooted in the minds of the over 3 million Tibetan compatriots. Therefore, environmental protection has become a tradition in Tibet. The implementation of laws and regulations has further encouraged locals to play their part in protecting the ecological environment. Local governments have also played a role in regulating. The central government has allocated funds to Tibet as well. For example, a total of 4,464 million yuan was invested to establish the river chief and lake chief systems to improve the ecological functions. As a result of the concerted efforts, 11 national nature reserves, four national scenic spots, three national geological parks, nine national forest parks and 22 national wetland parks have been established in the region, with its nature reserves accounting for 38.75% of the region's total land area of 1.2 million square kilometers. So far, Tibet has designated a total of 608,000 square kilometers for ecological conservation, accounting for half of the region's land area. Moreover, we are working hard to meet the newly emerged needs. As modern society is developing so rapidly, much more household waste and sewage is being produced. This requires us to invest more funds in the household waste management and sewage disposal. Pilot programs have been carried out in the areas along rivers. As most of the seven prefectures and cities in Tibet lie along the upstream of rivers, household waste management and sewage disposal are of huge significance for protecting the ecological environment. We will continue to invest in this area every year.
Third, we need to balance environmental protection with economic development. The economy should be developed and the ecology must also be well protected. We have unswervingly followed the path of developing production, making people better-off and maintaining a sound ecological environment. On one hand, we should maintain a proper balance between protecting the ecology and enriching the people. We have improved the transfer payment mechanism for key ecological function zones, the compensation mechanism for forest ecological benefits and the subsidizing mechanism for grassland ecological protection, and also established ecological compensation measures. Furthermore, we have returned a number of areas where wild animals used to live in the past to them. People who lived in sparsely populated areas and regions at very high altitudes have moved to areas with better conditions, richer production materials and better infrastructure. This allowed us to return grasslands and livestock fields to wild animals. Perhaps some of you have been to Tibet. There, we call it "removing livestock to restore the grasslands," and in some places it's called "removing livestock and restoring wild donkeys." Wild animals, especially Tibetan donkeys, are reproducing very quickly now, as are Tibetan antelopes. According to the latest statistics, the population of Tibetan antelopes is now around 300,000. Various wild animals have been brought under protection in Tibet, and their habitats have also been returned to them.
In addition, we have created environment-related employment to help sustain people's lives. Since 2016, we have provided a total of 700,000 jobs in the ecological sector for locals. Many people who used to work cutting down trees are now the ones planting the forests. In places where conditions permit, with the use of science and technology, we have carried out revegetation and afforestation. Trees have been planted in more than 100,000 households in over 1,000 villages, and the results have been relatively good. There is also hope for planting trees at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. We have mainly been planting trees at high altitudes and in areas where many people congregate, such as schools, military bases, government offices and enterprises. Thanks to science and technology, people can enjoy the benefits of vegetation.
After years of efforts, according to the monitoring and evaluation work carried out by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and relevant departments, the overall structure of the various ecosystems in the Tibetan Plateau has been stable, while the ecological quality has also stabilized and improved. Last year, the air quality on over 99.4% of days in prefecture-level cities was classed as "good," and 100% of surface water met the quality standards across the entire region, while the soil was in its natural state. Due to years of protection, the climate in Tibet has also improved. The rainy season in Lhasa came earlier this year, and plants turned green earlier. This has provided local people with a more comfortable living environment. Certainly, we still face great challenges. Global warming has impacted the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, especially bringing challenges to Tibet's glaciers and lakes. We need to attach high attention to them, monitor the changing situation using science and technology, and make timely and effective responses. Thank you.
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