Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region spent 3.2 billion yuan (US$507 million) in 2011 to turn the area into an "ecological security barrier", the local government said..

The spending financed 10 major projects including the conservation of Tibet's pastureland and wetland, measures to prevent forest fires and pests, wildlife protection and environmental monitoring, said Zhang Yongze, the regional environmental protection chief.

Tibet is expected to become China's ecological security barrier by 2030, added Zhang.

Tibet, covering more than 1.2 million square kilometers, plays a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. With abundant glacier resources, rivers, wild animals and plants, the plateau region is widely recognized as a potential regulator against climate change for Asia and the entire Northern Hemisphere.

The State Council, China's cabinet, approved plans for the construction of Tibet's eco-security barrier in 2009. 

In recent years, the Chinese government has taken active action to handle the global climate change.

In 2010, the Fifth National Conference on Work in Tibet stated clearly that China would develop Tibet into one key ecological security barrier. During the 11th Five-Plan period (2006-2010), Tibet has invested over 10 billion yuan (US$1.59 billion) into eco-protection.