Major investment earmarked to protect ecology

The central government plans to spend more than 20 billion yuan ($2.85 billion) to protect the ecological system of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the 2006-30 period.

Fourteen conservation projects will be launched, covering grassland and wildlife protection, the establishment of nature reserves, the control of desertification and soil erosion, and geological disasters prevention, Zhang Yongze, director of the Tibet autonomous regional department of environment protection, said.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau boasts a unique ecosystem due to its climate and geography.