Society

Tibetan herders rewarded for preserving grassland

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-17 19:27

LHASA - More than 40,000 herding families in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region received cash rewards on Friday for their efforts to preserve the grassland ecology.

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The families received 61.2 million yuan ($9 million), an average of 1,500 yuan ($223) per household, at a ceremony in the regional capital, Lhasa, on Friday.

The rewards were financed by the state treasury in line with the central government's call last year for herders to reduce cattle numbers in order to preserve the vulnerable grassland ecology.

More than 200 representatives from the families attended the ceremony.

"The move has proven effective in preserving grassland and curbing desertification," said Gyaltsen, a Tibetan official in charge of agriculture and herding.

"The cash reward was offered to compensate herders for losses incurred from reducing herds and using methane gas or other clean fuels instead of burning plants."

The move was launched last year on a trial basis in Nyainrong, Amdo and Bangoin counties in Nagqu Prefecture, Coqen county in Ngari Prefecture and Zhongba County in Xigaze, said Gyaltsen.

He said the reward system, the first of its kind in China, would be continued every year.

Under the government's call for the sustainable development of Tibet's pastureland, herders are encouraged to sell or slaughter some of their cattle to avoid overgrazing.

"The cattle population must be kept strictly below the pasture's maximum fodder output for conservation purposes," said Gyaltsen.

With most herding families relying solely on the cattle for income, the rewards are aimed at minimizing their losses. For many families, the reward brings extra disposable income, as well as a sense of environmental responsibility and sustainable development.

"The reward certainly makes us happy," said Tsara, 49, of Nyainrong County.  "But more importantly, we've learned to protect the grassland -- after all, herders have to rely on it for a living."

With the reward, Tsara said his family's income increased to 2,600 yuan ($387) this year, double the 2008 level.

A year after the government's call, Nyainrong County, with 18,500 square km of grassland, reported a 20 percent to 25 percent rise in fodder output. About 35 percent of the herders' cattle were sold or slaughtered to avoid overgrazing, said county chief Dekyi Drolkar.

The practice would be extended to all 38 herding counties in Tibet within five years, said Gyaltsen. "The annual reward would then exceed 1 billion yuan ($149 million)."

Tibet has 82 million hectares of pastureland, almost 70 percent of its total territory. The Chinese government has spent 200 million yuan ($29.8 million) on protecting its grassland and easing pressures posed by overgrazing and other industries.