An eco-protection screen for China and beyond

Sanjiangyuan, or "Three Rivers' Source", is the origin of three major waterways - the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Lancang River, which is also known as the Mekong.

Often called "China's Water Tower", the area, located in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, provides about 40 billion cubic meters of water a year for the lower reaches and supports a population of 600 million.

Water from Sanjiangyuan accounts for 49 percent of the runoff of the Yell-ow River, 25 percent of the Yangtze River and 15 percent of the Lancang River.