China passes law to protect world’s largest plateau

Beijing, Apr 26 (EFE).- China on Wednesday approved a law to protect the world’s largest plateau, banning some construction and mining activities, state media reported.

The regulations for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Tibetan Plateau) adopted in the Chinese parliament will enter into force on Sep. 1 and add to similar conservation regulations already applied to the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, two of the longest in Asia and which are born in the Tibetan plateau.

The new ecological conservation law prohibits production and construction activities that can cause soil erosion in areas of the plateau that already suffer from this problem to a severe degree or in those with fragile ecosystems, according to the state Xinhua news agency.

Mining and sand extraction industries that do not meet conservation requirements in nature reserves for water sources are also banned, and the construction of new small hydropower stations are “strictly” regulated.

In addition, the regulations establish fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,445) for travelers or visitors who litter on the plateau, an ecosystem that in recent decades has been threatened by climate change and human activity. EFE

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