[CNTV]

Sanjiangyuan, China's highest and largest natural wetland reserve, contains key sources of the country's three major waterways - the Yellow, Yangtze and Lancang rivers.

Lying high up on the Tibetan Plateau, it was established as a protected reserve back in the year 2000. It's the second largest nature reserve in the world, covering an area of over 150 thousand square kilometers. It's lakes, glaciers and wetlands provide HALF of the water that ultimately flows into the Yellow River.

A quarter of the water in the Yangtze and 15 percent of the water that makes up the Lancang. That's over 60 billion cubic meters of water every year -- almost twice the capacity of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

Six hundred million people living downstream depend on that water for their livelihoods. So it's vital that all aspects of the reserve's eco-chain are protected - including its wetlands, groundwater, glaciers, grassland, forests and wildlife.

(Editor:Mirenda Wu)