The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, often referred to as the "Third Pole of the Earth," includes many regions that are unsuitable for human habitation. The High-altitude Ecological Relocation Plan, which was initiated in Xizang in December 2019, represents a significant endeavor by the Chinese government to improve the living conditions of local residents and to alleviate ecological stress. This plan not only focuses on ensuring the basic right of survival and addressing the impact of high-altitude climate on physical health, but also addresses the challenges posed by population growth and climate warming.

Why is Xizang implementing the plan?

First, regions at an elevation above 4500 meters pose significant risks to human health due to low oxygen levels and extremely low temperatures. People living in such areas are susceptible to various serious altitude-related diseases, increasing the likelihood of disability, death, and even a relapsing to poverty. The implementation of high-altitude ecological relocation in Xizang aims to protect the right to survival of local residents and address the challenges posed by the harsh climate of the highlands.

For instance, the average elevation of Shuanghu County in Nagqu City is above 5000 meters, and the oxygen content of the air is only 40% compared to that of the plains. A survey conducted in Shuanghu County in 2017 found that the prevalence of polycythemia vera and hypertension among adults was significant, with rates reaching 45% and 40%, respectively. These diseases are a major trigger for life-threatening diseases such as heart disease, cerebral hemorrhage, and hypertension, inflicting systemic damage to people. The average life expectancy in Shuanghu County at that time was only 58 years, 14 years lower than the regional average and 19 years lower than the national average.

Due to the cold and windy climate, rheumatism is also one of the most common diseases in the region, with over half of the adult patients showing symptoms of joint pain without a clear diagnosis. Rheumatism causes joint pain, leading to deformity and paralysis, robbing patients of their ability to independently manage their life.

Second, the relocation plan aims to address the ever-increasing population and climate change and reduce pressure on the ecological environment. Since the peaceful liberation of Xizang, improved healthcare conditions have led to rapid population growth in pastoral areas. For instance, Nagqu had a population of only 100,000 in 1959, and now has more than 500,000 people. As a result, tensions between people, grass, livestock, and wildlife are increasingly evident in certain regions, leading to grassland degradation and intensified conflicts between humans and wildlife. In addition, despite a global trend towards warmer and wetter conditions, some regions are still experiencing desertification.

Third, relocation will better facilitate people's all-around development. The vast and sparsely populated areas in Xizang result in exorbitant costs for infrastructure and basic public services such as roads, education, medical services, and telecommunications. Nagqu, located in the high-altitude area of Xizang, covers an area of 430,000 square kilometers with a population density of less than 1.2 people per square kilometer, far below the world average population density of 60 people per square kilometer. It also has an urbanization rate of less than 30%. The overly dispersed population pattern makes it impossible to achieve standard and universal coverage of public services.

What's more? The maintenance costs of infrastructure and public services in high-altitude areas are excessively high, about double that of the inland areas. For example, although Shuanghu County has a population of only 14,000, the government has invested billions of yuan in repairing roads connecting the county seat. However, the per capita investment is not commensurate with the return, resulting in a significant burden on government finances.

From the unlivable zone to a welcoming new home

The average elevation of the entire Xizang Autonomous Region is over 4000 meters. The more accurate term for high-altitude relocation should be "extremely high-altitude relocation," and the policy mainly targets areas above 4800 meters in altitude, including some areas above 4500 meters.

The selection of relocation sites follows the principle of selecting areas that are suitable for human habitation and development and have a high ecological carrying capacity. Specific indicators include lower altitude and better economic foundations and development conditions. In fact, areas with good economic foundations and development conditions in Xizang are usually areas with lower altitude.

The most typical high-altitude relocation is the relocation of residents in extreme high-altitude areas above 4800 meters, such as Shuanghu, Amdo, and Nyima in Nagqu. Whole towns or villages in these areas have been relocated to valleys in Xizang, such as the Senburi Happiness Community in Gonggar County, Shannan Prefecture. The Senburi Happiness Community is only about 60 kilometers away from Lhasa City, at an elevation of 3600 meters, where hospitals, schools, and sports and entertainment facilities are readily available.

In addition to inter-regional relocation, there are also intra-regional relocations, such as the Siji Jixiang Village in Quxu County, Lhasa City, with an elevation of over 3600 meters. It is a new village built by nomadic herders who used to live in towns and villages above 4500 meters.

Both the Senburi Happiness Community and the Siji Jixiang Village are located near to economically developed areas in Xizang. With lower elevations, these areas have more opportunities for employment and more convenient public services and transportation.

Farewell to old home, welcome new life

Although leaving homeland may make them feel uncomfortable, most farmers and herders in high-altitude areas are willing to relocate.

In fact, before the implementation of the High-altitude Relocation Plan by the Chinese government in 2019, some farmers and herders with better economic conditions in high-altitude areas had already engaged in spontaneous relocation, moving from rural and pastoral areas to county towns or Lhasa City. In 2016 alone, 796 households (and) with 3,852 people in Baingoin County, Nagqu gave up herding and voluntarily moved to urban areas, accounting for nearly 9% of the total rural and pastoral population in the county. Herders with conditions in Gerze County of Ngari Prefecture have also spontaneously migrated to seek employment opportunities, with the proportion of herders abandoning herding as high as 40%.

However, most farmers and herders cannot afford to move independently. Most of them learn about city life through television and the Internet, and some want to move to towns and cities because their children are attending school there. However, due to financial reasons, they are unable to do so. Therefore, it can be said that the High-altitude Relocation Plan is a "boost" project that responds to the aspirations of farmers and herders for a better life in towns and cities.

During our surveys, we found that while most farmers and herders in high-altitude areas have a desire to move to urban areas, there are individual cases of reluctance to relocate due to concerns about their future livelihoods. Major concerns include the handling of their original means of production after relocation, such as whether they still own the grassland, how to handle their livestock, and their original housing. They also worry about their livelihoods after relocation, such as employment stability, religious life, etc.

To address these concerns, governments at all levels in Xizang have strengthened communication with farmers and herders in three aspects.

First, they have established a relatively complete relocation process to ensure that farmers and herders can fully participate in the process and express their demands. For example, Shuanghu County set aside one year before relocation to ensure sufficient communication with farmers and herders, explaining in detail the benefits and drawbacks of relocation and the risks of not relocating.

Second, regulations have been formulated on grasslands, livestock, housing, and compensation for grassland ecological conservation to ensure fairness and justice.

Third, before relocation, farmers and herders are invited to visit the relocation or resettlement sites, so that they can get to know the future development environment, living conditions, transportation conditions, etc., and bolster their confidence.

Local governments have also designed a set of mechanisms for life after relocation. Regarding incomplete relocation, the original means of production and livelihood, especially the ownership of grassland property rights, remain unchanged, and the ecological compensation attached to the grassland remains unchanged. Herders can choose to sell their livestock or join the livestock cooperative, which will provide them with annual dividends. Meanwhile, some herders will continue to graze in the livestock cooperative, and their original houses will be retained for a period so that they can live there when they return to graze. Regarding complete relocation, the government provides free housing of an appropriate size according to the number of members of the relocated household. At the same time, industrial projects are increased in the relocation sites to boost employment and income for relocated herders and farmers. Moreover, infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and cultural facilities is provided.

Through these measures, more and more farmers and herders have voluntarily signed relocation agreements with the government. Overall, the relocated farmers and herders are very satisfied, especially the young people.

Successful experience of sustainable development

High-altitude relocation in Xizang is a typical initiative of China to implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to fulfill its commitments in areas of poverty alleviation, health improvement, and promotion sustainable development.

On the one hand, High-altitude Relocation Plan has played a positive role in addressing local health and poverty issues. According to the universally accepted Human Development Index, high-altitude relocation has significantly improved the local Human Development Index, ensuring greater protection of local residents' rights to life, education, and development.

On the other hand, high-altitude relocation has helped maintain the ecological security barrier of Xizang, protecting the Asia's water tower and biodiversity. In terms of ecological protection, relocation has alleviated conflicts between people and grasslands in high-altitude areas to the greatest extent, effectively curbing grassland desertification. It has reduced tensions between people and glaciers in these areas, helping to curb glacier pollution and accelerated melting. It has also reduced conflicts between people and wildlife, giving hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of land to wild animals such as Tibetan antelope, wild yaks, and snow leopard, thereby protecting biodiversity.

Furthermore, in terms of environmental protection, the relocated populations have shifted from scattered living to moderate concentration, utilizing standardized facilities for waste collection, transfer, and disposal. The concatenated treatment of domestic sewage through pipelines significantly reduces domestic source pollution and protects the plateau's rivers and water environment. At the same time, they have had easier and cheaper access to clean energy sources, such as hydropower and natural gas, reducing carbon emissions in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and to some extent mitigating climate change.

Therefore, according to the progress made so far, the high-altitude relocation initiative in Xizang is a successful experience of sustainable development that is in line with China's national conditions and the conditions of the plateau.

The author is Yang Tao, at Institute for Social and Economic Studies, China Tibetology Research Center.

Liu Xian /Editor    Hu Min /Translator

Yang Xinhua /Chief Editor    Liu Xian /Coordination Editor

Liu Li /Reviewer

Zhang Weiwei /Copyeditor    Tan Yujie /Image Editor

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