China to invest in protection of Tibetan plateau

China plans to invest in the Tibetan plateau to protect its eco-system and combat glacier shrinkage, reported the Times of India today. The grants will cover twelve projects and be worth 20 billion Yuan (2.63 billion USD).
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Projects are to include development of wildlife reserve, forest preservation, restoration of grassland and pasture, and prevention of desertification and geological disasters.
Chinese experts had previously identified severe effects related to climate change in the region, including frozen earth melting, grasslands turning yellow and rivers drying up.
The plateau is the source of China’s two longest rivers. Earlier today Xinhua reported that a new study showed that the volume of water in these rivers has decreased over the last 40 years.