Sheep graze on grassland by a lake in Dinggye county, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 13, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

In a step to foster socioeconomic sustainability, preserve biodiversity and safeguard eco-security, a new law on ecological conservation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China will come into effect starting Sept. 1.

Composed of seven chapters and 63 articles, the legislation addresses significant environmental challenges facing an area of approximately 2.58 million square kilometers across six provincial-level regions. These include exacerbating extreme weather conditions, glacier retreat, permafrost melting and biodiversity degradation.

The legislation marks another milestone in the country's legal system for environmental conservation, building upon previous laws implemented to protect the Yellow River and Yangtze River.

To restore the ecological function of arable farming land, the law stipulates that local governments of all levels in the region must implement stringent protection policies, and take effective measures to improve soil fertility and improve its ecological environment. 

The law also proposes the establishment of a mechanism to protect snow-capped mountains, glaciers and frozen soil, and enhance related monitoring, early warning and systematic conservation efforts.

As per Article 20 of the legislation, large ice caps and small glaciers will be included within local eco-conservation redline systems. Provincial-level governments in the region must also implement strict restrictions on human activity on key snow-capped mountains and glaciers, draw up frozen soil protection zones, and thoroughly examine the administrative procedures involved in urban planning and infrastructure construction projects in permafrost regions. 

To further contribute to the country's "dual carbon" goals, the law stipulates that local governments must harness the potential of wetlands in carbon sequestration, and enhance wetlands' capacity to conserve water sources, regulate the climate and preserve biodiversity. 

In addition, the law advocates the green and low-carbon transformation of the energy sector on the plateau by establishing an energy system featuring wind, photovoltaic, hydroelectric, photothermal and geothermal power.

The construction of new small-scale hydropower projects is strictly prohibited on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with the exception of those necessary for residential use and border defense purposes, the law stipulates. 

The legislation also outlines regulations for tourism development and the behavior of tourists. These include respecting and preserving local cultural and folk traditions in eco-tourism development, ensuring that tourist numbers and infrastructure projects are kept at a reasonable scale, and imposing fines of up to 10,000 yuan on individual polluters. 

Dubbed the "Roof of the World," the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the source of several major rivers in Asia, including the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang (Mekong) rivers that provide nourishment to approximately 3 billion people. Additionally, the region also acts as a key barrier for China's ecological security.

The latest legislation builds upon the significant green progress China has made in the region since 2012. As outlined in the plan for eco-conservation and restoration projects in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for 2021-2035, the region has seen remarkable improvements in its ecosystem, enhanced ecological functions, increased biodiversity and a strengthened awareness of eco-protection.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is currently home to 155 nature reserves spanning an area of 822,400 square kilometers. These constitute approximately 31.6% of the entire region and 57.56% of the country's total area of terrestrial nature reserves.

As of 2021, the region's forest covered an area of 23.11 million hectares, and its wood stock accounted for 2.44 billion cubic meters of forest. 

Wild animal populations have also experienced significant increases in the region. Compared with 1995, the population of Tibetan antelope has grown from over 70,000 to over 300,000, while that of the black-necked crane has increased from less than 3,000 to more than 10,000. 

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