Volunteers from the association for ecological and environmental services in Dongba township, Nangqian county, Qinghai province, pose with herdsmen after helping them install guardrails to prevent bear invasions. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Province benefits from ecological and environmental advances

Namjil, who grew up in a Mongolian yurt, has never seen such a rich abundance and diversity of wildlife roaming his family's pasture in Golmud, Qinghai province.

There are herds of bharal, also known as blue sheep, Tibetan antelope and predators such as snow leopards and wolves.

The 29-year-old, a nomad who runs the pasture, home to more than 1,000 sheep and 80 yaks, takes pride in his other role as a ranger tasked with protecting wildlife and ecology in the vast expanse of grasslands near the Kunlun Mountains.

Every month, Namjil joins a team of rangers on a three-day expedition that takes them across wetlands and grasslands looking for poachers and those engaged in illegal mining. The rangers also collect garbage and other trash.

They record traces of wildlife, monitor changing conditions in water sources and wetlands, and rescue injured animals.

Namjil earns 1,200 yuan ($167) a month for this work, but what really motivates him is the emotional attachment he forms with wildlife. "You develop a kind of emotional bond with the wild animals after doing this job for a long time," he said.

The herdsman is one of more than 145,000 rangers employed in Qinghai to protect the western province's ecology and environment as local authorities step up conservation efforts.

Dubbed China's "water tower", Qinghai boasts the sources of Asia's three longest rivers and the Three-River-Source National Park, the nation's first national park, which is located in the Sanjiangyuan region.

Qinghai, where two other national parks are being developed, has seen a steady recovery of its endangered species. The population of Tibetan antelope has risen from fewer than 30,000 to more than 70,000, and the number of Przewalski's gazelle, found in the wild only in China, has risen from about 300 to over 2,700.

Meanwhile, the province's ecological protection efforts, which span several decades, have brought key benefits to local herdsmen by raising their income and living standards.

Dondrub Chophel, secretary-general of the Snowland Great Rivers Environmental Protection Association, a Qinghai NGO, said the work local residents perform as rangers for national parks is just one of many examples of local herdsmen benefiting from wide-ranging protection efforts. He said that in the past, the herdsmen had only one way to boost their income — raising the number of sheep and yaks in their pastures.

"Now, the improved ecology and greater biodiversity offer the herdsmen much broader channels to increase their incomes," he said.

In addition to being official rangers, the herdsmen work as volunteers to monitor snow leopards. They also organize cultural experiences and activities related to nature education, he said.

Green commitment

Officials and analysts said a key factor behind the strengthened ecological protection drive in Qinghai is the heightened emphasis placed on conservation efforts by the nation's top leadership.

China has taken unprecedented measures regarding environmental protection and ecological conservation over the past decade, launching major battles against air, water and soil pollution.

Last month, during a national conference on ecological and environmental protection, President Xi Jinping laid out a broad vision for building a Beautiful China, saying the nation would firmly adhere to and practice the philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets".

Xi made two fact-finding trips to Qinghai in 2016 and 2021, underscoring protection of the province's ecology and environment as a major issue for the nation, along with the region's increasingly prominent role in environmental, national, resource and energy security.

He called for steps to develop the province into a powerhouse for China's green development, including measures to build up its clean energy sector and enhance its capacity to produce green and organic agricultural and animal produce.

During discussions with national lawmakers from Qinghai in 2021, the president underlined the province's major responsibility for national ecological security and the nation's sustainable development.

While praising the efforts made by the authorities, Xi called for continuous steps to give top priority to ecological conservation, saying that work in this regard remains arduous and requires persistent efforts.

Wang Enguang, an official at the Qinghai Forestry and Grassland Administration, said the province has led the way for China to establish a network of nature reserves, spearheaded by the development of three national parks.

Qinghai now boasts 83 nature reserves with a total area of 27.2 square kilometers.

Wang said the main function of national parks is to ensure the authenticity and integrity of natural ecosystems.

"With the national parks established, ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and mountains can be effectively restored and corridors for wildlife migration unblocked. Habitats for endangered species such as snow leopards can be made more adaptable and consistent," he said.

Dondrub Chophel said the development of national parks and nature reserves has effectively put an end to poaching and illegal mining. A vital factor behind Qinghai's success in biological protection lies in the province's wide-ranging drive to mobilize various sectors of society, he said.

The Snowland Great Rivers Environmental Protection Association has encouraged more local herdsmen to take part in such protection efforts over the past 20 years, with over 1,000 volunteers now working to safeguard wildlife in Three-River-Source National Park.

The official emphasis on ecological protection has allowed NGOs such as the association to thrive, while the role of grassroots volunteers has also been emphasized by local authorities. "The government has started to purchase services from NGOs and there is increasingly stronger official recognition of the role played by NGOs in ecological conservation," Dondrub Chophel said.

Sonam Chophel, deputy principal of Changjiangyuan Minzu School, an elementary school in Golmud, said environmental protection education has been a centerpiece of the curriculum. The school has run programs to encourage children to conduct garbage sorting, recycle plastic bottles and use waste to create artworks.

"The children's education has also spurred parents to enhance their environmental awareness," Sonam Chophel said.

He added that the Tibetan ethnic group has always respected nature, and herdsmen have increasingly realized the urgent need for ecological conservation, as overgrazing in the past resulted in grassland deterioration.

Encouraging herdsmen from regions with fragile ecology and harsh natural conditions to resettle with the help of official subsidies and employment programs is another crucial measure to boost grassland and wetlands protection.

Sonam Dondrub, Party chief of Tanggulashan township, Golmud, said improved ecological conditions in the region have led to rising living standards and life expectancy.

He cited the example of Changjiangyuan village, a resettlement area for nomads relocated from the source of the Yangtze River, which lies at an altitude of about 4,700 meters. The nomads have been moved to the suburbs of Golmud, which are at a much lower altitude.

"Previously, most of the children were taught in tents, but now they have lessons in gleaming classrooms," he said. The resettlement of nomads has also led to improved access to healthcare, electricity and tap water, while the average life expectancy of the villagers has risen from 58 years to 71, he added.

"Many nomads could barely shower once or twice for a whole year. Now, their living conditions are even better than those living in urban areas," Sonam Dondrub said.

Major opportunity

The drive to build Qinghai into a major base for clean energy production has already delivered tangible benefits for local residents by creating more jobs and expanding income channels.

Ran Qing, mayor of Golmud, said the city is now embracing the best period in its history of development.

Golmud, which leads the nation with its reserves of lithium, potassium and magnesium, has seen its businesses expand their production capacity, with demand surging for raw materials used to produce new energy vehicles, or NEVs.

"Such opportunities arose after the nation announced its commitment to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060," the mayor said. As an example, he cited the production of lithium carbonate, a vital raw material for batteries used in NEVs. This year, such production is expected to rise from 60,000 metric tons to 160,000 tons, or one-third of the nation's total production capacity.

Qinghai's installed capacity for clean energy, including hydropower and solar energy, has reached 42.25 million kilowatts, accounting for 91.6 percent of its overall energy structure, ranking first nationwide in this respect.

Residents are also benefiting from more ways to earn a living.

In 2015, Samkyi, who lives in Changjiangyuan, started a cooperative to train villagers to make Tibetan handicrafts, including carpets and pulu, or woolen fabrics. "I have been fascinated by the production of such handicrafts since childhood, but I was worried that if nobody passed down these skills, they would be lost someday in the future," Samkyi said.

Her cooperative now has 26 members from her village, and last year each of them was awarded a 40,000 yuan bonus for making the handicrafts.

Namjil, the herdsman, has taken to livestreaming platforms to sell produce from his pasture, including mutton and yak meat.

He now has 12,000 followers on the Douyin platform, and his business employs six people. At a single livestreaming event, Namjil sold all the meat from seven sheep within four hours.

"With our fine ecology and environment, I proudly tell my buyers that our produce is truly green and free of pollution," he said.