A: In 1979, the leading group of environmental protection of Tibet Autonomous Region was founded, marking the standardization of Tibetan environmental protection undertakings. The Tibet Autonomous Region Environmental Protection Committee, established in 1990, has further consolidated the unified leadership regarding Tibet's environmental protection. Tibet's environmental protection undertakings have now begun to take shape, with environmental protection bureaus established at autonomous region level as well as in various prefectures. There are also 12 professional environmental protection institutes, all staffed by professional managerial and technological personnel. Investment in pollution control has increased dramatically. To eliminate Lhasa's industrial smoke and dust alone 3 million yuan has been invested.
In 1990, an up-to-date environmental monitoring building, the first of its kind in Tibet, was constructed in Lhasa, with 7 sub-monitoring stations around the city. The building is equipped with the most advanced environmental monitoring apparatus. The environmental monitoring station in Xigaze, the second largest city in Tibet, was constructed and put into operation in 1993. The Qamdo environmental monitoring station, located in eastern Tibet, is under construction. A monitoring network covering the whole of Tibet has taken shape.
¡¡¡¡Construction projects that may cause damage to the environment are subject to two systems: an "environment impact evaluation" system, and a system necessitating design, construction, and operation of both the principal project and pollution control facilities. In 1988, the relevant local departments closed a number of small pollutant enterprises, and required other pollutant enterprises to make necessary modifications within a designated period of time. It also published a telephone number for reporting environmental offenses in the Tibet Daily, and called on the public to participate in environmental monitoring.
While implementing a rational urban construction plan and afforestation policy, the local government also attaches great importance to disseminating information on environmental protection through the media and various other activities.
In recent years, the relevant technological and research departments have conducted investigations on certain important issues, such as the source of industrial pollution in Tibet, and resources of flora and fauna. |
