Abstract:
Known as the "Third Pole of the Earth" and the "Water Tower of Asia", the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has a unique ecosystem, which not only performs critical ecological functions such as water conservation, climate regulation, and soil conservation, but also serves as a vital cradle for rich biodiversity. The ecological protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is of great significance for maintaining Asian ecological balance and addressing global climate change. It is also vital for the future of humanity. Starting from the perspectives of regional development strategy, land management and planning, and natural resource protection, China has implemented several policies such as key ecological functional areas, ecological protection red lines, and natural protected area systems with national parks as the core to protect the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and constituted an ecological protection space system. However, management objectives and measures across these three levels lack strong coordination, resulting in inefficient ecological protection. This deficiency has prevented the formation of a spatial framework that simultaneously ensures both the ecological security of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and coordinated socioeconomic development. On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, key ecological functional zones cover an area of 1.59 million km
2, accounting for approximately 61% of the region′s total area. The ecological protection red line demarcates an area of 1.25 million km
2, which is about 48% of the total. Additionally, 397 nature reserves have been established, spanning 911200 km
2 and making up 35% of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau′s total area. Hence, the coordination of ecological spaces needs to be further strengthened at three levels. It is also essential to enhance the management system and measures of ecological spaces, reinforce ecological protection and restoration, and enhance the supply capacity of ecological products on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as well as the supporting capacity for ensuring national ecological security. Furthermore, the establishment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau′s ecological protection space system must be grounded in the Law of the People′s Republic of China on the Ecological Protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This framework contributes to: (1) consolidating and enhancing ecological functions in key ecological functional zones, including Sanjiangyuan, Ruoergai, Gannan, Qilian Mountains, Arjin, Qiangtang Plateau, Southeastern Tibet, and Hoh Xil; (2) rigorously enforcing ecological conservation red lines in areas exhibiting extremely important ecosystem services and high ecological sensitivity; and (3) integrating and optimizing protected areas based on spatial distributions of key protected wildlife species, natural heritage sites, natural landscapes, and critical ecological service functions. The latter objective necessitates strategic development of national parks-such as Sanjiangyuan, Qinghai Lake, Qilian Mountains, Qiangtang, Mount Qomolangma (Everest), and Kunlun Mountains-to preserve the authenticity and integrity of these unique natural ecosystems.