The Yellowstone is an American national park, located in the western part of the United States. Having a land area of 2,219,791 acres, it is home to various wildlife, ecosystems, and popular geographical features. The benefits of government setting aside such a large piece of land are quite numerous. Hence, it is of little wonder that the government of China deems it fit to tread down this line of action.
A version of the iconic national park in China is an idea that many ecologists feel is long overdue. The need for a national park is born out of the necessity of growth and development. As China experiences an economic boom, there’s a corresponding increase in industrialization. This directly or indirectly will lead to disruptions in the natural cycles of the surrounding ecosystems. Thus, there’s a rising need to protect China’s landmarks to preserve a sense of identity for the nation.
Presently, there are speculations that the location of the planned nature reserve is the Tibetan Plateau. Also referred to as the Himalayan plateau owing to its geographic connection to the Himalayas mountain range covers approximately 617,763,454 acres at an altitude of 1600m above sea level.
Similar to the Yellowstone, communities already reside in this region. Currently, there’s no plan to resettle such communities. Instead, the government intends that these communities are allowed to become an integral part of the project. By introducing a ranger scheme, every family is entitled to work as a ranger to keep the park clean.
Wildlife preservation is the most urgent need and aim of this project. The Tibetan Plateau region is the natural habitat of some of China's endangered species. It is estimated that there are over 1500 endangered species on the brink of extinction, among these are the snow leopards.
The first part of the national park called “Sanjiangyuan” should be open sometime mid-next year.
Before this initiative, China is known to have a lot of small parks. However, most are privately owned and run by various groups as they please. This unified park system is a conscious effort towards achieving greener earth. It is highly welcomed by the public and high expectations are in order.
