China to launch new ecological protection program at river cradle
( 2003-12-04 10:23) (Xinhua)
China is expected to launch a new program starting in 2004 to improve the
deteriorating ecological situation in the areas cradling the Yangtze River,
Yellow River and the Lancang-Mekong River, which flows to the South China Sea
through Vietnam.
The program was nailed down following a recent meeting convening Chinese
central government officials, as well as water, environment and forestry experts
for schemes to protect and develop ecological resources in the riverhead areas.
The cradleland, located in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an
average altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, covers an area of 363,000 sq
km in the southern part of northwestern Qinghai province, which is home to 16
counties and Tanggula township under three Tibetan autonomous prefectures.
The crisscross of rivers and lakes, along with ice-capped mountains and
glaciers, earn the cradleland the reputation of " kidney of the earth" for its
great capacity to retain water resources, resist flooding and dry spells,
relieve pollution, and keep in existence the biodiversity.
However, global warming, growing population and excessive human activities
have resulted in water erosion and shrinkage in grassland and biodiversity in
the areas.
A natural zone for resources protection, which was set up in 2000 at a joint
effort of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Qinghai provincial
government, was developed in early 2003 into a national preservation zone
covering 152,300 sq km, nearly half the cradle areas.
The new program to take effect next year will focus efforts on grass growth
by grazing limitation, wetland protection, cloud seeding, and energy development
in areas inhabited by grazers.
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