Photo shows several wild donkeys wandering around the Lake Namtso.The ecological environment in Tibet is well protected. [Photo/China Tibet Online]

On the Tibetan delegation's media open day at the two sessions of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) and the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Wu Yingjie, vice executive chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and the NPC deputy said that Tibet is willing to sacrifice the speed of economic development to protect ecological environment.

According to Wu, with a multifarious physiognomy and diversified natural conditions, TAR's ecological environment is vital to China and even the world's ecological balance and resource protection.

Wu said: "People who have been to Tibet know that local people will cultivate flowers and grass in the yard to protect the environment despite its plateau climate." Most of the natural resources in Tibet are well protected while water resources and air are of the highest quality across the whole country.

Because of global warming, the comfort level of habitation in Tibet is increasing. At the same time, the global environmental changes such as snow line rising, glaciers melting, lakes dryout and grassland desertification also influence the Tibetan environment.

Right now, under the solicitude of central government, large amounts of fund have been invested in environment protection in Tibet. The Tibet's Ecological Security Barrier Protection and Construction Planning has been implemented. Therefore, it is predicted that the total investment from 2008 to 2030 in environmental protection will reach 15.5 billion yuan (about $2.5 billion).

The whole region has by far had 47 natural reserves, covering about 1／3 of the Tibetan area. In addition, there are other wildlife reserves, ecological preservation areas and wetland reserves too in the TAR.

Wu said that Tibet would rather sacrifice the speed of economic development than let the high-polluting enterprises in.

Tibet is the first to prohibit white pollution, and ban gravel mining and placer iron mining. The environmental impact assessment of key construction projects is strictly enforced. Moreover, a project is carried out to replace firewood with other environmental-friendly fuel.

"With the limited financial condition, we mobilize all efforts to improve the eco-construction. The forest project by the side of the Yarlung Zangbo River has begun to take shape. In the next step, the landscape engineering will be constructed on the mountains of Lhasa. All the projects are environmental friendly," said Wu.

Wu also added that Tibet will duly handle the relationship between economic development and ecological protection, increasing the compensation investment in the protection of grassland, forest, lake and wetland.

Every year 3.6 billion yuan (about $580 million) of ecological compensation will be allocated to return the grain plots to forestry and grazing land to grassland in order to better the ecological environment in Tibet.