Xu Qingmin, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, at this year's "two sessions" in Beijing, March 6, 2024. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

During this year's "two sessions," a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress called for enhanced conservation of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, with particular emphasis on the Sanjiangyuan area in southern Qinghai province. 

Xu Qingmin, deputy director of the Qinghai Province Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, suggested continuing to bolster ecological restoration and protection initiatives within ecologically fragile areas of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and introducing policies to support long-term and comprehensive observation of ecological restoration efforts. He also recommended designating the Sanjiangyuan National Park as a pilot area for this conservation work.

Located on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in western China, the Sanjiangyuan area serves as the headwaters for the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers, and is known as the "Water Tower of Asia."

In 2021, the Sanjiangyuan National Park was officially designated as one of China's first batch of national parks. Covering a total area of 190,700 square kilometers, its average altitude exceeds 4,700 meters. 

According to a report on the park's development released last year, the park delivered over 60 billion cubic meters of high-quality freshwater downstream every year, while its grassland coverage had increased by over 11% and grass yield had risen by more than 30%.

In order to put forward targeted and workable suggestions for further ecological protection in the area and the wider Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Xu Qingmin visited Sanjiangyuan and met with farmers and herdsmen last August, gaining first-hand information on the development of this crucial ecological security barrier in China.

He said that as early as 2016, Qinghai began to build a networked, remote, real-time observation system to strengthen the monitoring and protection of key ecological areas. As of 2023, a monitoring network comprising nearly 800 cameras and spanning an area of 20,000 square kilometers had been established. 

However, Xu argued that it is imperative to establish a national-level monitoring system to provide comprehensive data support for tracking the ecological progress and biodiversity conservation efforts in the Sanjiangyuan area.

Sanjiangyuan National Park has prioritized ecological restoration over the past several years, with 13,000 hectares of degraded grassland restored, 7,333 hectares of land having undergone treatment for desertification, and the Tibetan antelope population growing from less than 20,000 to over 70,000.

Xu Qingmin highlighted that the positive ecological outcomes have made significant contributions to advancing the ecological, cultural and tourism industries, along with the organic livestock sector in Sanjiangyuan.

"The integration of ecology, culture and tourism is mutually reinforcing, which leads to high-quality economic development and increased incomes for residents," Xu said. "This, in turn, contributes to the improvement of people's living standards."

"With an enhanced ecological environment and elevated incomes for locals, a natural sense of pride emerges, fostering greater confidence and awareness in ecological protection. This then strengthens unity among the diverse ethnic groups in Qinghai," Xu added.

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