According to the plan, by the end of 2005, every Tibetan prefecture and city will have its own welfare and service facilities and entertainment centers for the elderly, Lobsang said.

The governments at all levels in the region will try to offer financial support, medical treatment, health care and community services to the elderly and guarantee their rights and protect their interests, Xinhua news agency reported.

Statistics show that Tibet's older population has increased rapidly during recent years.

Currently, more than 200,000 citizens are over 60, making up 8 percent of the Tibetan population, while 118,000 citizens, or 4.5 percent, are over 65.

In addition, Tibet's Xigaze and Ari areas have become aging societies where elderly people make up 10 percent and 13 percent of the local population respectively.

Ma Zebi, director of the regional bureau of civil affairs, said that the regional government has worked to improve welfare services for the elderly since 1992.

During the next five years, the government will launch more welfare programs for elderly people, ensuring that they are well-cared for, have medical services, are occupied doing what they enjoy and make a contribution to society, he added.

Meanwhile, the regional government said it regards controlling desertification and protecting grassland as another key task of the plan.

According to the plan, Tibet will increase spending to turn more farmland back into forests and greenland to control soil erosion.

Farmers will also be encouraged to plant more vegetation along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

(eastday.com November 13, 2001)