INTRODUCTION
The Peoples Republic of China is rich in cultural and natural diversity. and is listed by biologists as a ?megadiversity
country'. Since 1950, when China embraced modernity, the forests have been indiscriminately felled reducing forest cover.
This has threatened biodiversity, causing drastic declines of mammal and bird counts, recurrent flooding and erosion, and
recurrent snow disasters. These not only threaten global climate, but undermine the livelihood of the local people and great
loss of life and damage downstream. In South West China the government has promoted ambitious plans for forest
conservation and reforestation, culminating in a felling ban and the closure of grazing lands. This Comment draws attention to
the new environmental activism emerging in the country and discusses prospects for successful implementation of the new
policies
SW CHINA: GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND
"South West" China encompasses an area known by Westerners as "East Tibet", by the indigenous Tibetan people as
Kham, and by the Republic of China as "Xikang". It is deeply dissected by four of Asias largest rivers (Bramaputra,
Salween, Mekong and Yangtze), which flow in a SE course through deep limestone and sandstone gorges. Elevation
ranges from 2000m to more than 7000 m and the area is dominated in the east by Minyak Gangkar (7590m) (Ch. Gongga
Shan). The steep slopes are mostly covered by coniferous forest, and the region contains China's largest forest resource.
Nowadays this vast region, is divided for political and historical reasons between four Chinese provinces and comprises 47
counties . The region was characterised by its very rich biodiversity and in a few locations the untouched ecosystems are
among the ...