Bilingual platform launched to protect Sanjiangyuan environment

A bilingual online platform has been launched for trial operations by prosecutors from Beijing and Qinghai province, aiming to identify and address activities harming the Sanjiangyuan region's ecology and environment. This area is the source of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers.

Accessible via WeChat, the mini-program is available in both Chinese and Tibetan, allowing herders in Qinghai's Yushu prefecture to report environmental violations to judicial authorities in real time. The user-friendly interface lets users upload text, images, or videos, with the system automatically identifying the geographical location of the incident.

The bilingual feature makes the platform more accessible to local Tibetan communities, lowering the barriers for older herders and those with limited Mandarin skills. After a report is submitted, the public can track the status of case acceptance, verification, and feedback in real time, ensuring transparency and public participation.

This digital initiative aligns with the upcoming Ecological and Environmental Code, which will take effect on Saturday, coinciding with China's National Ecological Day. This code is the second law titled "code" and aims to enhance environmental conservation and green, low-carbon development by integrating laws into a systematic framework.

The Xicheng District People's Procuratorate in Beijing and the Yushu Prefecture People's Procuratorate in Qinghai are promoting this initiative to tackle the challenge of collecting evidence of environmental damage in remote areas and strengthening prosecutorial oversight.

This move signifies a deeper integration of digital technology into ecological and environmental protection efforts in Sanjiangyuan, helping to enforce the rule of law on the high-altitude pastoral plateau.

Dang Chunyan, acting chief procurator of the Yushu procuratorate, stated that the mini-program will complement offline patrols to enhance the ecological oversight system.

Zeng Bin, a prosecutor from the Xicheng procuratorate, highlighted the platform as an example of evolving support from the capital's prosecutors to less-developed areas, shifting from hardware and training to digital and technological assistance.

Both procuratorates have committed to expanding the use of digital tools in their oversight efforts, with a shared goal of protecting the plateau's delicate environment and ensuring national ecological security.