Tibet sees great progress in wildlife protection

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Dawa Tsering says an essential factor in the increased wildlife population is the government’s establishment of a number of nature reserves in Tibet over the past two decades. Today Tibet is home to more than 70 nature reserves, big and small. Their total area accounts for over 30 percent of the autonomous region.

But as animal numbers grow, new issues have emerged.

Dawa Tsering said "In Qiangtang nature reserve, the human and wildlife conflict is a new issue. Brown bears coming down to the village, destroyed villagers’ houses, furnitures, and kill livestock. We are trying to develop some conservation measures to cope with the problem One strategy is to provide bear-proof food containers and boxes to help them build strong fences round the houses…"

And like many other places on the earth, there are also the threats of climate change. What particularly concerns Dawa Tsering is that Tibet’s high altitude makes it even more vulnerable to the impact of global warming.

The Tibetan environmentalist says he's confident about the prospects of eco-protection in the region. But he believes international support and collaboration is essential, as climate change is a global issue and no place can meet the challenge alone.

Dawa Tsering says it's gratifying to see the wildlife return and thrive in less than 20 years. But with glaciers and frozen soil melting faster and grassland deteriorating as a result of climate change, Tibet's ecology is under serious threat. Dawa and his colleagues still face tough challenges ahead.

Editor:Xiong Qu