Print

Mail

wiki links

Tibet puts environment ahead of money

The Tibet Autonomous Region vowed to place the protection of its glaciers, wetlands and grasslands ahead of the development of industries such as tourism and manufacturing in its economic planning.

Tibet will reject investment from industries such as mining, should they result in the erosion of land or pollution of natural reserves, Huang Yutian, head of the Lhasa economic and development zone, told reporters on Friday in the Tibetan capital.

The development of Tibet is part of the government's 5.77 trillion yuan (US$720 billion) investment in western China to boost the poorest regions, the National Bureau of Statistics said. The spending is also aimed at reducing dissent among ethnic Tibetans, many of whom resent Beijing's approach in quashing dissidents, analysts said.

"We support the development of Tibet's industries, but not at the expense of environmental erosion," Huang said. "For now, we don't have any serious cases of environmental pollution. We don't use coal. We rely on clean energy resources, solar and hydropower."

The local government will also limit tourism because Tibet's ecology couldn't sustain increased human activities, Zhang Tianhua (張天華), deputy director of the local environment protection bureau, said on Friday. The local government is targeting 3 million tourists this year, he said. Visitor numbers were 2.6 million last year.

Tourists arriving in Tibet will exceed 3 million next year on increased interest in China as Beijing hosts the Olympic Games, Ta Ji, vice mayor of Lhasa, said on Friday.

A 33 billion yuan railway link between Tibet and neighboring Qinghai Province, which started operating a year ago, has brought increased numbers of visitors to the region, Ta said. Four trains come to Lhasa daily, each carrying about 700 people.

The autonomous region is able to support tourism activities for 3 million people, Zhang said.

Tibet's government has put on hold for now a plan to pave an existing dirt road linking Lhasa and Nepal, Zhang said, without giving a specific reason. The local government will instead work on minor repairs, he said.

"It's pretty much like fixing a leak in the roof of your house," Zhang said. "We'll be improving the condition of the road, which is sand and stone, not paving it with tar."
This story has been viewed 1367 times.