In April, the National People’s Congress, China’s legislative branch, passed the “Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) Ecosystem Protection Act. The QTP Act is China’s first legislative vision for the environmental protection of the Tibetan plateau and its surroundings, covering larger than the area of western Europe. The act is hailed as a legislative “landmark” by state-sponsored Chinese media and follows a series of laws that provide a legal backbone for resolving China’s regional environmental issues. The plateau is experiencing the effects of climate change, including melting permafrost and retreating glaciers.
Major international rivers such as Brahmaputra, Indus, Mekong, Irrawaddy and Salween flows from the heights of the Tibetan plateau for the Asian continent providing life to 2.5 billion people of Asia. It is also nicknamed as the ‘water tower’ of Asia. This Tibetan Autonomous Region called the TAR, the administrative region of China shares the border with Nepal, Bhutan, India and Pakistan.
The QTP Act lays down the Administration legalities of the water tower of Asia compiling the 5 nations and the vested interest of China in maintaining the water tower.
The Act lays emphasis the strengthening the protection of the Qinghai – Tibet plateau Ecosystem. Bans peat digging in several lakes. Conservation and protection of the Ecosystem i.e., mountains, rivers, natural parks, natural reserves and, controlling and regulating the water and air pollution.
