The 19th Plenary Session of the 9th Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Tibet Autonomous Region, the regional legislative body, has recently passed the "Ordinance on the Protection of Wetlands in Tibet" which will come into force on March 1st, 2011.

The ordinance, consisting of 29 articles in all, prescribes that forestry bureaus above the county level should set up files for wetland protection based on regular surveys. Also county-level authorities should make wetland protection plans and take measures to improve retrogressive wetlands, such as providing water, prohibiting overgrazing, returning farmland to forests and closing in for nurturing, etc.

Under regulations, nature reserves are required to be built around breeding spots, habitat or stopover for waterfowls under state or regional protection, living areas for rare and endangered wildlife, and wetlands of particular ecological value or important scientific research value.

Any people involved in draining water from wetlands, reclaiming wetlands, releasing poisonous and harmful substances, dumping solid wastes, gleaning or destroying birds' eggs, will be punished as they are also banned according to the ordinance. 

The ordinance calls on people to increase the awareness of environmental protection and encourages departments concerned or individuals to participate in wetland protection.

Wetland, forest and ocean are known as three main ecosystems on the earth. China joined the Convention on International Wetland early in 1992 in order to protect wetland resources.