Garbage removal legislation milestone conservation move

The 38th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress reviewed the draft law on ecological conservation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for the second time. The draft stipulates that people organizing tourism activities on the plateau should also take care of the garbage generated, while stipulating legal action against those dumping garbage at will.

The making of a special law for its ecological conservation marks a milestone in the country's ecological and environmental protection.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has a cold climate and fragile ecology, and even a minor human disturbance or damage can leave a deep stamp there. With the leap-frog development of Tibet's economy, the construction of transportation infrastructure in Tibet has been progressing rapidly. Even remote areas that once took a week to reach from Lhasa can now be reached in a day by car. Before the pandemic, tourists loved driving into Tibet, believing it was a place for cleansing their soul.

While tourism has improved the living conditions of local people, it has also brought pressures on the local ecology.

Since the 1980s, great achievements have been made in the ecological protection of the plateau. Several internationally renowned nature reserves have been established and fauna such as Tibetan antelopes and wild yaks effectively protected. With the establishment of the national park system, the management system of nature reserves on the plateau has been upgraded. Thanks to this system, nature is expected to have a harmonious relationship with humankind.

Checking pollution on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau through legislation marks a very practical move. Human beings should exercise restraint to show their kindness to nature. We hope the draft law brings more positive changes to the ecological protection of the plateau.