China's Xizang glacier protection regulation to take effect

LHASA - A regulation on glacier protection in the Xizang autonomous region will come into effect on Oct 1, 2024, representing a significant achievement in the region's ecological and environmental protection legislation, according to a press release on Thursday.

The regulation provides specific guidelines for governments and relevant departments in glacier areas, introduces a responsibility system and performance evaluation mechanism for glacier protection goals, and establishes punitive measures for violations.

The regulation will effectively protect glacier resources, ensure the ecological safety of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, and contribute to the preservation of the plateau's flora, fauna and landscapes, said Zhao Guiying, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Xizang Autonomous Region.

Xizang is home to 41 percent of China's total glaciers, 16.5 percent of its water resources, 30 percent of its grasslands, 18.3 percent of its wetlands, and 40 percent of the country's lake area.

The regulation 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.