Provincial regulations in China boost ecological protection of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

XINING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Qinghai Province has passed regulations, to be enacted on Aug. 1, which will provide legal support for the province to build a national ecological civilization highland.

As provincial-level regulations with "ecology as the key," the "Qinghai provincial regulations on the construction of a national ecological civilization highland" are aimed at promoting the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, according to a press conference held on Monday.

The regulations consist of 11 chapters and 76 articles, covering areas such as guaranteeing ecological security, building nature reserves, protecting and restoring the ecology, biodiversity protection, green and low-carbon development, and innovation in ecological civilization systems.

The regulations include content on improving the ecological environment protection governance system, adhering to the integrated protection and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grassland, deserts and glaciers, and integrating the concept of biodiversity protection throughout the process of ecological civilization construction.

The regulations will help strengthen the regular supervision and management of the ecological environment with the strictest systems and the most rigorous rule of law, enhancing the diversity, stability and sustainability of the ecosystem, according to officials in the province.

Located on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Qinghai is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. It holds a significant ecological position, bearing the great responsibility of protecting the sources of the three rivers.

The regulations came after China's law on ecological conservation on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau that was enacted in September 2023, the first state-level legislation specialized in regulating ecological conservation on the plateau.