(TibetanReview.net, Jan22’25) –The local Chinese government of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) has decided to incorporate “six regions enriched with unique natural landscapes and abundant biodiversity into its national park plan”, greatly shrinking the Tibetan people’s habitat and the space for their means of livelihood.
Such plans have led to large-scale forced relocation of Tibetan farmers and nomads who lost their traditional habitats and ways of life, greatly impoverishing them.
“These six distinctive ecological areas encompass the Three-River-Source region (specifically the Tangbei area), the Changtang reserve, Mount Qomolangma, the Gangdise Mountains, the Gaoligong Mountains (Xizang section) and the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon,” reported China’s official chinadaily.com.cn Jan 22, citing the TAR government at the third plenary session of the 12th People’s Congress of the TAR.
The six regions cover a combined area of approximately 400,000 square kilometres, the report said, making for nearly a third of the total land area of TAR. Besides, these areas account for roughly 36% of the total area of national parks and candidates nationwide, “thus making Xizang rank first in the country in the quantity and total area of national parks,” the report said, citing Xizang Daily.
The report said the TAR had since 2014 been advancing the establishment of national parks, undertaking initiatives such as conducting scientific surveys and resource assessments for the proposed national park areas of Mount Qomolangma and the Changtang reserve.
The report said the Changtang National Nature Reserve had completed all eight tasks and 22 work items in its establishment phase. “It has now entered the submission and approval stage for official designation as a national park. The remaining five regions are also in various stages of development.”
The regional government was stated to have released regulations and policies to strengthen support for national park construction and provide basic guidelines for establishing national park demonstration areas in the region.