Respected Chairman Song Jian,

　　Members of the Council,

　　At the invitation of Xie Zhenhua, Secretary General of CCICED, I am honoured to brief you on the present environmental situation and environmental protection in Tibet on behalf of the People's Government of Tibet Autonomous Region.

　　1. The Present State of the Environment in Tibet

　　Tibet is one of the autonomous regions of the People's Republic of China. It ha s a land area of over 1.2 million square kilometers and a population of 2.4 mill ion, among which more than 95 percent are Tibetan people. With complex and various topography, and an average height of 4,000 meters above sea level, Tibet is usually called "the roof of the world". The climate of Tibet is characterized by great disparity and high frequency of disastrous weather. Generally speaking, the air is thin and lacks oxygen, the weather is extremely cold and the sunshine is strong. Cold and dry in the Northwest, while warm and humid in the Southeast, Tibet enjoys a belt-like distribution of climate change, spanning the tropic, sub-tropic, temperate, and sub-frigid, as well as frigid zones from the Southeast towards the Northwest. The annual average temperature ranges from minus 5.6 degrees C to 20 degrees C above zero, and the annual precipitation is below 500 mm in most parts of the region.

　　There are numerous rivers and lakes in Tibet, among which 20 rivers have a basin area of over 10,000 square meters and a further one hundred rivers have a basin area of over 2,000 square meters. Additionally, Tibet has more than 1,500 mm in most parts of the region.

　　The Tibet Autonomous Region has various types of land, most of which is either pasture (53.99%), or un-exploited land (34.44%). A small proportion is arable land (0.37%). As one of the major forest areas in China, Tibet now has wooded area of 12.65 million hectares, which is 10.5 percent of the total land area. Of this, the forest area is 7.17 million hectares or land coverage of 5.8 percent. The reserve volume of living woods is 2.084 billion cubic meters.

　　There are many plant species in Tibet. Form the Southeast to the Northwest, they are tropical rain forest, sub-tropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, semi-evergreen broad-leaved forest, coniferous forest, shrub forest, shrub meadow, steppe and desert, in turn. Tibet has over 5,000 kinds of higher plant resources are basically prevented from being destroyed. Tibet also has noteworthy animal resources, which rank first in the world in terms of variety and quantity; 798 kinds belong to vertebrate, 2,305 kinds belong to insect, 41 kinds are the first-grad e state-protected ones and 84 kinds belong to the second-grade protected classification.

　　Since the peaceful liberation, Tibet has witnessed the introduction and gradual development of modern industry. At present, an industrial system consisting mainly of construction materials, light textile, tannery and pharmacy goods has been preliminarily formed. However, those industries causing heavy pollution like papermaking, petro-chemical, heavy metal metallurgy, pesticide production, electroplating and coal -fired electrical power stations have not been developed. There fore, industrial pollution in Tibet is light, on the whole. In 1996, 1.012 billion standard cubic meters of industrial waste gases were emitted, including 19,80 0 tons of dust and 552 tons of sulfur dioxide. 25.4 million tons of industrial wastewater and 2,200 tons of solid wastes were discharged.

　　Tibet is one of the cleanest regions in China with uncontaminated air, high transparency and a fairly good state of atmospheric environmental quality. According to monitoring data, in 1996 the daily average vale of Total Suspended Particles over the entire year in Lhasa City was 2999 u3g/m3, while that of sulfur dioxide was 3 u3g/m3 and nitrogen oxide was 14 u3/m3, meeting the requirement for the second grade national atmospheric environmental quality. Similar results were obtained for Rikaze City and Changdu County. Acid rain has not occurred in Tibet s o far.

　　Surface water runoff of Tibet is 448.2 billion cubic meters. Monitoring results show that the water quality of the main rivers throughout the entire region is quite good, and most of the lakes are still in their primary state.

　　A survey of natural radiation levels in the Tibet Autonomous Region has shown that the natural radiation is at normal background levels and there is no radioactive pollution anywhere in the region.

　　2. Work and Achievements of Environmental Protection in Tibet

　　The Party Committee and People's Government of Tibet have been earnestly implementing relevant environmental laws and policies, and regard environmental protection as a basic state policy, as well as a strategic issue crucial to the future development of Tibet. In this regard, they have formulated and issued Decision on Strengthening Environmental Protection, Notification on Implementation of the State Council's Decisions on Environmental Protection.

　　Environmental protection planning targets are clearly identified in the Ninth Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development in Tibet Autonomous Region and the Outline of Long-term Target Program for Years up to 2010. Through years of efforts, great achievements in environmental protection have been made in Tibet.

　　(1) The legal framework of environmental protection has been strengthened.

　　In accordance with relevant laws and regulations of our country, and taking into consideration the actual situation of Tibet, the People's Congress and Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region promulgated a series of local laws and administrative regulations on environmental protection and resource conservation. These laws and regulations include Regulates on Environmental Protection in Tibet Autonomous Region, Regulations on Implementation of Land Administration Law of the People's Republic of China in Tibet Autonomous Region, Detailed Rules on Implementation of Grassland Law of the People's Republic of China, Rules on Urban and Rural Construction in Tibet Autonomous Region, and so forth. The local authorities have also issued regulations on environmental protection by taking into account the real situation in the local region.

　　The legal system of environmental protection and resource conservation has been formed in Tibet. In the process of establishing and perfecting its environmental legal system, the Government of Tibet Autonomous Region has attached regular inspections on rules enforcement of environmental laws and conducted regular inspections on rules enforcement in the three consecutive years since 1993. Those who cause environmental pollution and degradation are severely punished, and those who commit crimes against environmental laws are given serious penalties.

　　(2) Environmental awareness of the public has been considerably enhanced.

　　The Government of Tibet Autonomous Region has paid great attention to environmental publicity and education. Since the 1980s, publicity activities have been carried out on a large scale for specific topics, or in a series over time, by mean s of such media as newspaper, broadcasting, television, and so forth on the occasion of various commemoration days such as World Environment Day, Earth Day, Tree Planting Day and Land Day.

　　Since 1991, the competent department of environmental protection in the autonomous region has issued the 'Report on the State of the Environment' each year, welcoming public supervision on their work.

　　Environmental Protection Bureaux at various levels have regularly organized activities like contests on environmental knowledge, outreach educational and consultation activities, distribution of environmental brochures, to mention but a few. Some primary and middle schools have also provided environmental education in various forms, fostering the children's love for nature and sense of responsibility for environmental protection from childhood. In 1996, the primary and middle schools in our region started a global study and observation program named GLOB E for the benefit of environment.

　　(3) Industrial pollution has been controlled fairly well.

　　First, the protection and improvement of the urban ecological environment, prevention and control of pollution, and other public hazards are incorporated into overall urban planning. Measures have been adopted to adjust the industrial layout, accelerate the innovation of old city and control urban environmental pollution generated from production and living activities, in accordance with the requirements of the urban planning.

　　Second, in terms of industrial pollution control, old pollution sources are treated by means of technical innovation, and cleaner production is vigorously promoted in line with the real situation of Tibet. According to statistics, from 1991 -1996 over RMB 65 million Yuan had been invested in industrial pollution control in the region. Of this, more than RMB 27 million Yuan was invested in the construction of facilities for geothermal wastewater to be used for irrigation in Yangbajing Geothermal Power Plant. Such investments resulted in the increase of dust removal rate of industrial flue gas from 67% to 87.5%, and industrial wastewater treatment rate from 15% to 50%.

　　(4) The remarkable results of environmental construction.

　　For the purpose of effectively protecting the rich biodiversity and unique ecosystem in our autonomous region, since the 1980s thirteen nature reserves of different types and one scenic spot have been established, covering an area of 325,00 0 square kilometers, accounting for 26.5% of the total land area of the region. The reserve area for wild animal resources in nature reserves has grown by over 30%. In Chayu and Motuo, the population of Bengal tigers has already exceeded ten due to our protection efforts.

　　Great efforts have been made in afforestation, leading to an increase in the forest coverage in the region. By 1996, the area of mass afforestation preservation has reached 26,000 hectares; about 60 million trees have been planted voluntarily y in surrounding areas; forest cultivation in closed mountain areas now covers a n area of 140,000 hectares; 4,700 hectares of abandoned land has been reclaimed.

　　The ecological environment of the middle reaches of "one big river and two small rivers" (Yarlung Zangbo River, Lhasa River and Nyang Qu River) basins has been greatly improved. Since 1990, our country has invested heavily in the middle reaches of the above three basins, carrying out comprehensive development, water conservation construction, low-productivity farmland improvement, pasture transformation and afforestation. A green belt from Saungri and Gongga has been established, which has considerably reduced encroachment due to sandstorms. For example, the number of windy days has decreased from about fifty in the 1960s and 1970s too less than thirty nowadays.

　　The promotion of clean energy, the prevention of vegetation destruction and the protection of ecology have been strengthened. In Tibet's energy structure, biomass energy (cow dung, fire wood and straw) now accounts for 75%. In order to reduce the destruction of vegetation, the construction of hydroelectric power plants, the utilization of geothermal energy and the popularization of solar and wind energy have been encouraged in the autonomous region. As far as solar energy is concerned, over 60,000 solar stoves, 160,000 square meters of solar energy houses, solar water heaters using solar energy covering an area of 65,000 square meter s, 1.1 million square meters of solar greenhouses, and various photoelectric facilities with a production capacity of 1 million watts had been set up by the end of 1996. This has resulted in an annual energy saving of about 100,000 tons of standard coal.

　　(5) The supervision and management of environmental protection have been intensified.

　　An environmental management system has been basically established, in which the responsibilities are divided as follows:

　　● the People's Congress at all levels are in charge of overall supervision,

　　● local Governments are responsible for implementation of environmental laws an d regulations,

　　● competent environmental protection departments are responsible for direct supervision and management, and

　　● relevant sectors are responsible for their own environmental management.

　　In order to coordinate and handle major environmental issues, the Government of Tibet Autonomous Region has set up an Environmental Protection Committee and the local authorities have followed suit. Environmental management regulations such as the system of Environmental Impact Assessment, "Three Simultaneousness" (synchronized design, construction and operation of environmental protection facilities and the major part of a project), and Pollution Levying Fees have been strictly implemented. Environmental Impact Assessments has been done to all new large and medium-sized projects.

　　The implementation rate of "Three Simultaneousness" has increased. Discharge fees are levied in a steady and comprehensive way. Since 1985, with the investment of the state and financial assistance from other provinces, an environmental monitoring center station of the autonomous region and two environmental monitoring stations in Rikaze and Changdu have been established at a total cost of nearly RMB10 million Yuan. Some sectors in the region have also set up their own environmental monitoring stations, conducting timely environmental monitoring and scientific research.

　　In the future we will firmly stick to the road of sustainable development, carefully study environmental protection strategies and tasks in our region, work out measures to deal with specific environmental problems and incorporate them into the annual plan for economic and social development, raise definite environment al protection requirements for large and medium-sized industrial construction projects, pillar industrial construction projects and infrastructure construction projects, and take full account of the needs of environmental protection when formulating industry, energy, technology and economy policies.

　　Environmental protection in Tibet has attracted much attention from the international community. We will promote and take active part in international cooperation and exchanges in the field of environmental protection, drawing on good experience of other countries and introducing our successful experience to others as well.

　　At the same time, we wish to gain international assistance and support for environmental protection in Tibet. We will actively implement the international conventions to which China is a signatory and go all out to protect the earth on which humankind live and achieve common prosperity.

　　Thank you all.