China allocates 200 mln yuan for Tibet's grassland

　　(Source: People's Daily Online)

　　BEIJING, Sept. 18 -- China‘s Ministry of Finance has allocated 200 million yuan (29.3 million U.S. dollars) in special funds to support the establishment of pilot grassland protection reward systems in Tibet‘s five pilot counties and two comparison counties.

　　The financial rewards will be directly issued to households by local financial departments.

　　Tow animals walk leisurely on a grassland by the Qinghai Lake, the Qinghai Plateau. China‘s Ministry of Finance has allocated 200 million yuan (29.3 million U.S. dollars) in special funds to support the establishment of pilot grassland protection reward systems in Tibet‘s five pilot counties and two comparison counties. (Xinhua Photo)

　　Tibet has 1.23 billion mu (82 million ha) of natural grasslands, accounting for 68 percent of its landmass. Meanwhile, it has a larger grassland area and more varieties of grasslands than any other part of China.

　　However, as the Tibetan Plateau is located inland, it is ecologically fragile. Tibet‘s grassland environment is facing ecological deterioration, which has a direct impact on the region‘s animal husbandry, economic and social development.