The Chinese central government will spend 10 billion yuan or some 1.5 billion US dollars by the end of 2015 to protect the environment in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
China has spent 8 billion yuan since 2001 on environmental protection in the region.
Chenzhe reports.
Dr. Zhang Yongze, director of the local environmental bureau in Tibet, says the move is part of the "Ecological Protection Plan of Tibet" approved by the State Council last year.
"Environmental protection in Tibet got some 3-billion yuan funds in the five years until 2005 and another 3 billion yuan over the following three years. And now the Protection Plan will allocate 10 billions more."
A local official Qiangba Puncog, says the project will continue to benefit local residents and neighboring countries too.(www.hXen.com)
"The funds will be used to preserve woods, grasslands, and wetlands. It will help in other ways too."
Over 400-thousand square kilometers of land, which accounts for more than one third of the plateau, has been marked as preserved areas. And temperatures in the high-altitude areas are estimated to be rising by 0.32 degrees Celsius every ten years.
In order to fight climate change, local governments have shut down cement plants, seven ironworks and four paper mills.
An increasing number of local farmers and herdsmen have been encouraged to turn to tourism to make a living instead.
In Nyingchi, a tourist spot that is more than 45 percent ancient forests, nearly 700 households participated in local tourism and earned more than five million yuan in total.
Environment official Zhang Yongze says more attention has been paid to protect the environment.
"All tourists now have to park their cars near Rong Bu temple and take horse-drawn carriages for the last seven kilometers to the base camp at the foot of Mount Everest. So there will be less waste gas."
Local government has also provided some 1.5 billion yuan since 2003 to protect grasslands and subsidize herdsmen who were moved to other places.
