Nagchu champions glacier protection on plateau

Editor's note: As protection of the planet's flora, fauna and resources becomes increasingly important, China Daily is publishing a series of stories to illustrate the country's commitment to safeguarding the natural world.

Nagchu city, in the northern part of the Xizang autonomous region, is the origin of many major rivers in Asia, including the Yangtze, the Nujiang and the Lancang rivers, making it a core area for building a water ecological security barrier in Xizang and a strategic guarantee base for water resources in China.

With joint efforts made by the government and the public in Nagchu, Xizang's largest and the country's second-largest prefecture-level area, the city reflects a beautiful picture of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

The Yangtze River's main source is the Jangchu Diruk Glacier in the Amdo section of the Three-River-Source National Park. To protect the ecological environment of the river source area, a regular working mechanism has been established by the local government and residents. Currently, the construction work in the Northern Tanggula Mountains area of the park, where the glacier is located, is 90 percent complete.

Nagchu has effectively shouldered the political responsibility for the ecological protection of the river park. It has promoted the construction of the Northern Tanggula Mountain area, implemented ecological protection and restoration in the source areas of rivers and comprehensively established protective measures for river sources, among many other duties

Hu Chunyu, deputy head of the Nagchu water conservancy bureau, said the primary measures Nagchu has taken to protect the river are the implementation of a strict water management system, controlling total water usage and ensuring efficiency.

Hu said the city has also cracked down on activities that encroach on river and lake areas, including sand mining, garbage dumping and unauthorized construction, and has widely promoted ecological protection through educational campaigns to raise public awareness.

"Through governance, illegal activities that harm water ecology have been effectively curbed, leading to a significant improvement in the water quality of rivers and lakes," said Hu, adding the city has laid a good foundation for creating an ecological civilization, but it still faces some difficulties and shortcomings.

Ecological civilization is a concept promoted by China's central leadership for balanced and sustainable development that features harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

"The water quality management system in Nagchu is not yet perfect. Soil erosion is severe, and effective wetland protection and restoration measures are lacking," Hu said.

"This year, the measures we have taken mainly focus on strengthening supervision and law enforcement, establishing a sound water environment monitoring system and intensifying the overall monitoring and evaluation of the water environment," he added.

According to the Xizang Department of Natural Resources, the glacier resources in Nagchu cover approximately 6,800 square kilometers, almost 2 percent of its administrative area.

The general volume of water in the glaciers stands at about 8.8 billion cubic meters.