VI. Full and Effective Protection of Environmental Rights

Xizang has always prioritized eco-environmental conservation and kept reminding itself that conserving the ecology of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the greatest contribution to the survival and development of the Chinese nation. The region is committed to maintaining harmony between humanity and nature in modernization. It prioritizes eco-environmental conservation and green development, and strives to continuously improve eco-environmental governance and protect biodiversity on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Xizang has become one of the regions with the healthiest eco-environment in the world, where the protection of the people's environmental rights has been steadily upgraded.

- The system for protecting environmental rights is further improved.

On April 26, 2023, the NPC Standing Committee adopted the Law of the People's Republic of China on Ecological Conservation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Xizang Autonomous Region promulgated the Regulations on Developing National Eco-Civilization Model in the Xizang Autonomous Region, Regulations of the Xizang Autonomous Region for Environmental Protection, and Regulations of the Xizang Autonomous Region for Glacier Protection. Additionally, it released the Decision of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Xizang Autonomous Region on the Full Implementation of the Law on Ecological Conservation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Guidelines on Further Strengthening Pollution Prevention and Control, and the Decision of the CPC Committee and the People's Government of the Xizang Autonomous Region on Building National Eco-Civilization Demonstration Zones to Boost Efforts for Building a Beautiful Xizang. These actions have provided important legal and institutional support for protecting the environmental rights of all ethnic groups.

- Measures for eco-environmental protection continue to strengthen.

Xizang has established 47 nature reserves of all kinds, covering 412,200 sq km. According to the second survey of terrestrial wild animals, there are 1,072 terrestrial wild vertebrate species and 246 wild animal species under special state protection in Xizang. A total of 7,504 species of vascular plants have been recorded, of which 1,075 are endemic to the region, and 169 species of wild plants are under special state protection. To improve water conservation, river sources, especially those of 33 important rivers, have been placed under systematic protection, eco-environmental protection projects have been launched for the Lhasa River, Nyangchu River and Drigu Tso Lake, and the scope of management and protection for rivers and lakes has been delineated. The Sanjiangyuan National Park section north of the Tanggula Mountains has been established. The water quality of major rivers and lakes in Xizang meets national environmental quality standards for corresponding water areas. According to the third national territorial land survey, forests, grasslands, wetlands, water bodies and other lands with strong eco-environmental functions reached 1.08 million sq km in Xizang.

- Environmental monitoring is normalized.

Xizang has made steady progress in developing the network of eco-environmental monitoring, focusing on surface water and drinking water sources, and air quality. Continuous monitoring has been carried out in key areas including those along the Sichuan-Xizang Railway and the Rongpo River that originates from Mount Qomolangma. Since 2016, the annual proportion of days with excellent or good air quality in Xizang has reached over 99 percent. The air quality in main towns and cities has, on the whole, remained excellent or good, and the air quality in seven prefecture-level administrative units has reached the state Grade-II standards or above. In 2024, Lhasa ranked first among the 168 key cities in China in terms of air quality. The air quality in the Mount Qomolangma area continues to be rated as excellent or good, reaching the state Grade-I standards.

- The urban and rural living environment continues to improve.

Xizang has formulated and released the Guidelines of the Xizang Autonomous Region on Building Beautiful and Livable Demonstration Villages While Improving Rural Living Environment and the Measures of the Xizang Autonomous Region for Certifying Beautiful and Livable Demonstration Villages While Improving Rural Living Environment. The documents have specified the goal and priority tasks for improving the living environment of farming and pastoral areas, and addressed issues including waste sorting, sewage discharge, and agricultural pollution from non-point sources. By the end of 2024, a total of 430,000 household sanitary toilets in farming and pastoral areas had been upgraded, bringing the accessibility rate to 80.3 percent and enabling more farmers and herders to have access to clean and sanitary toilets. 

Thanks to the above efforts, rural infrastructure has improved, and people's awareness on environmental protection has also been raised. In March 2022, the first phase of the project to manage the river ecosystem in the downtown area of Lhasa was completed with an investment of RMB943 million, and the second phase is in process with an investment of RMB2.4 billion. This project has upgraded the living environment of the city by connecting river systems, redirecting wastewater, and improving the landscape. In areas below 4,300 m in altitude, 1,079 villages and over 104,700 households have taken part in a tree planting initiative that has ensured that all households and villages have access to trees. A rural greening action saw 10.31 million trees planted across 2,261 administrative villages, while an afforestation project in the mountains to the north and south of Lhasa has led to 10.58 million mu (705,333 ha) of forests being planted and nearly 3.83 million mu (255,333 ha) tended. Through these large-scale greening programs, the per capita green area in Xizang has markedly increased and the eco-environment of urban and rural areas has continued to improve.

- The eco-compensation system is in place.

Eco-environmental protection is being combined with efforts to improve people's lives across Xizang. In 2017, the Guidelines of the General Office of the People's Government of the Xizang Autonomous Region on Improving the Eco-Environmental Conservation and Compensation Mechanism were released. Between 2018 and 2024, a total of RMB95.4 billion was allocated as subsidies and rewards for ecological protection across the region. Since 2021, Xizang has invested RMB6.93 billion from the central budget in ecological benefit compensation funds for forests, and has effectively managed and protected 178 million mu (11.87 million ha) of state-owned and non-state-owned forests, bringing significant growth in forest resources and direct or indirect benefits to more than 2.1 million farmers and herders. The eco-compensation system has increased the income of farmers and herders, strengthened their awareness of conservation, and improved the eco-environment. The Measures of the Xizang Autonomous Region on the Management of Green Jobs (For Trial Implementation) were formulated to facilitate the pursuit of green jobs and green businesses, and increased incomes through job creation in the eco-environmental sector. From 2016 to 2024, an average of 516,000 jobs for eco-environmental protection were created annually, providing an annual per capita income of RMB3,500.