A snow leopard, captured by an infrared camera in Sanjiangyuan National Park, July 2020. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

By?ZHONG?Jianli

In recent years, China has made great strides in developing its national park system.

The system aims to maintain the integrity of natural ecosystems, protect biodiversity, and leave precious natural assets to future generations.

In 2021, the first batch of five national parks, including the Sanjiangyuan National Park, were officially established. This is not only a milestone in the development of China's ecological civilization, but a landmark in the history of nature conservation in the world.

An example of ecological protection

Located in Qinghai province, Sanjiangyuan National Park, with a complete ecosystem, is the largest national park in China. Known as the "water tower of China," it is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Lancang River.

Before the Sanjiangyuan National Park was set up, thanks to more than a decade of ecological protection and restoration, the degradation of its ecosystem was alleviated. The water resources increased by nearly eight billion cubic meters, and the grassland yield rose by 30 percent.

However, some problems constantly emerged as the area was previously managed by different departments or jurisdictions.

To end the segmented management of the Sanjiangyuan area, Qinghai province upgraded its policy system. Eighteen management policies and four technical standards for developing the area were formulated. In addition, a standardized and unified system for protecting the natural reserves was finally formed.

With all these efforts, the protected area of Sanjiangyuan was expanded to more than 190,000 square kilometers, covering 15 towns and 68 administrative villages.

To date, 109 natural reserves of various types in Qinghai province have been integrated into 79. A new system of protecting natural reserves, centering on the national park, has basically taken shape in the province.

"One household, one post" system

Different from national parks in other countries, a lot of herdsmen live in the Sanjiangyuan National Park. How to ensure they live a better life while protecting the ecological environment is a big question facing the authorities.

The idea of employing park rangers was proposed, and the "one household, one post" system was established.

Under this system, as long as one member of the household is hired as a park ranger, the whole family can participate in the subsidized job.

According to statistics, 17,211 herdsmen have been hired as park rangers, and the average annual income of each household has increased by 21,600 RMB.

This system not only helps herdsmen increase their incomes, but also enables them to participate in the management of the national park, reflecting the harmony between human and nature in the park.