China's State Council Information Office released a white paper on Friday highlighting the Xizang Autonomous Region's commitment to environmental protection as a cornerstone of its development strategy. Titled "Human Rights in Xizang in the New Era," the document underscores Xizang's role in preserving the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau's ecology, which it calls "the greatest contribution to the survival and development of the Chinese nation."
With 47 nature reserves spanning 412,200 square kilometers, Xizang now hosts over 1,000 terrestrial wild vertebrate species, including 246 under state protection. Air quality remains exceptionally high, with over 99% of days annually classified as excellent or good since 2016. The region has planted 10.31 million trees in rural villages and established 705,333 hectares of new forests around Lhasa through large-scale greening projects.
The white paper also details economic incentives driving conservation. From 2018 to 2024, Xizang allocated 95.4 billion yuan ($13.3 billion) for ecological subsidies, while creating an average of 516,000 environmental protection jobs annually since 2016. These efforts align with modernization strategies emphasizing harmony between humans and nature, supported by advanced monitoring systems for water and air quality.
For global travelers and researchers, Xizang's transformation into one of the world's most pristine ecosystems offers new opportunities to study sustainable development models in high-altitude regions.
