Focusing on environmental protection and sustainable urban development in Tibet, this paper expounds the present situation of ecological environmental protection in Tibet and the negative impact of urban development, probes into the necessity and evaluation criteria of sustainable urban development in Tibet, and puts forward relevant countermeasures to realize the coordinated development of natural ecological environment and urban economy in Tibet from four aspects: policy system, urban planning, urban development model and exploring national culture.
Keywords: sustainable development of ecological protection cities in Tibet
I. General situation of ecological protection and urban development in Tibet
1. The present situation of geographical environment and the existing problems of ecological protection in this area.
Xizang Autonomous Region is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the southwest of China, with a vast territory (area1228,400 km2, accounting for about18 of China's land area, ranking second in the country after Xinjiang). The population is 2.427 million, mainly Tibetans (more than 95%). The whole region has jurisdiction over 7 prefectures (cities) and 73 counties (cities, districts). [3] Tibet Plateau has beautiful scenery, blue sky and clear water, fresh air, long and splendid Tibetan culture, rich ethnic customs, mysterious Tibetan Buddhism and unique natural and cultural landscape. This mysterious land is rich in biodiversity resources, grassland resources, mineral resources, water resources and solar energy resources. The content of pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the ambient air of major towns in Tibet is very low, and the water quality of major rivers can meet the standards. So far, there has been no acid rain and radioactive pollution. These unique cultural and geographical environments provide good technology and conditions for Tibet to carry out the large-scale development of the western region and accelerate economic development and all-round social progress. Tibet has become a sacred place that people yearn for. However, it is precisely because of Tibet's unique geographical environment that 86. 1% of the land in this area is located above 4000m above sea level. Due to the severe cold and harsh natural conditions, the ecological environment is very fragile, and it is difficult to recover once it is destroyed.
The fragility of Xizang Autonomous Region's ecological environment makes it the key to realize the sustainable development of economy and society. After the liberation of Tibet, the ecological environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been maintained in a good state because of its small population, low level of urbanization and industrialization and various national protection measures. However, in recent years, with the rapid development of Tibet's economy, the level of urbanization has been continuously improved. At present, the overall quality of ecological environmental protection in Tibet is not high, and there is a trend of degradation. Through research and analysis, the main problems facing Tibet's current ecological environment protection are: the contradiction between extensive economic's growth mode and limited ecological environment carrying capacity is increasingly prominent; The contradiction between the whole and the part, the immediate and the long-term interests caused by the deterioration of the ecological environment, the serious shortage of investment and the weak awareness of environmental protection is intensifying day by day; The government's demand for ecological environment protection and supervision is getting higher and higher, and the contradiction between it and the serious lag of Tibet's actual supervision ability is becoming increasingly obvious. Therefore, only by effectively solving these contradictions and problems and protecting and building the ecological environment can we ensure the sustainable development of Tibetan cities and successfully implement the strategy of developing the western region.
2. The present situation of urban development in Tibet and its negative impact on the environment.
Cities are the product of social development to a certain stage. The towns in Tibet have a long history. Lhasa, Shigatse, Qamdo, Gyangze and other towns are historical ancient cities, which were once prominent. However, the feudal serfdom in Tibet has seriously hindered the development of social productivity for a long time. In the past, towns had no basic urban facilities, low productivity, small population and little impact on the environment. In Tibet, towns in the modern sense only developed after peaceful liberation. Especially since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee has held four symposiums on Tibet work, studied and formulated a series of special policies and effective measures, and various undertakings in Tibet have entered a period of rapid development. In the 1980s, the central government and the Xizang Autonomous Region Municipal People's Government successively invested hundreds of millions of yuan, most of which were used for urban housing renovation, urban expansion, municipal construction and public service facilities construction. From 65438 to 0984, the central government decided that nine provinces and cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Sichuan, Fujian and Guangdong, would assist in 43 projects with a total investment of 480 million yuan and a total construction area of 236,000 square meters. Hotels, guest houses and modern buildings such as culture, education, health, communication, transportation and life have mushroomed. From 65438 to 0994, the Central Committee held the third symposium on Tibet work, and decided that the Central Committee and relevant provinces and cities would help Tibet build 62 projects with a total investment of 2.38 billion yuan. [1] At present, most of the projects have been completed and put into use. The fourth Tibet Work Forum held in 2003 drew a grand blueprint for Tibet's future economic development, and the development of towns in Tibet is bound to enter the best period in history.
With the development of Tibet's economy, the level of urban modernization has improved. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway will be completed and opened to traffic in 2007, and the total population of Tibet will reach 2.5 million to 2.8 million (including floating population). Although Tibet is vast in territory and rich in resources, the natural plateau conditions in Tibet are harsh and the living space of human beings is limited. Available arable land only accounts for 0.2%-0.3% of the total area of the whole region, and the per capita arable land area is decreasing. The increase of population will inevitably lead to the artificial fragility of Tibet's ecology. For example, Lhasa, the capital of Xizang Autonomous Region, as the political, economic and cultural center of the autonomous region, has increased from less than 200,000 to 474,500, and the urban population has reached 223,900 (47 19%), reaching a certain level of urbanization. [2] Because there is no modern garbage disposal site and sewage treatment center in Lhasa at present, the increase of population is followed by the increase of "white" pollutants and the cross-flow of sewage. In order to survive, human beings illegally destroy natural resources, such as unreasonable deforestation, illegal hunting of wild animals and indiscriminate mining of natural mineral deposits. How to realize the rapid, stable and sustainable development of urban economy in a limited living space, protect the natural ecological environment and take the road of sustainable development is a serious issue we are facing at present.
Second, the connotation of realizing the sustainable development of Tibetan cities
1. The concept and necessity of urban sustainable development
"Sustainable development" was put forward by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987, and now it has become the development concept and mode pursued by human beings. Urban sustainable development is an advanced urban development concept, which emphasizes that the city pays more attention to the improvement of urban quality while growing, including the quality of urban ecological structure, environmental quality, architectural aesthetic quality and spiritual and cultural atmosphere, so as to realize the balanced development of urban social economy and ecological environment. The sustainable development of Tibetan cities should stand at the height of the overall development of regional economy, base on the present situation of urban development and focus on the future of urban development, and should not be based on the deterioration of environmental quality and the decline of living standards of future generations at the expense of today's economic development.
Modern towns are the center of regional economic and social development. Tibet is faced with the historical task of further improving people's living standards, developing social economy, narrowing the gap with the mainland and welcoming the new round of western development. Therefore, we should pay special attention to the development of central towns, make them have the position of economic and cultural radiation center, and thus effectively promote the social development and progress of the whole region. The central position of this city determines that the sustainable development of Tibetan cities must be realized.
Secondly, realizing the sustainable development of Tibetan cities is the need of ecological environment protection in this area. Sustainable development emphasizes the protection of ecological environment, and the ultimate goal of urban construction is to make nature, urban economy and human society develop harmoniously through urban planning and design. Sustainable development requires the protection of the ecological environment, which will also promote the sustained and healthy operation of urban society.
Thirdly, realizing the sustainable development of Tibetan cities is an objective requirement for the diversified development of Tibetan industries. Strictly speaking, Tibet's economy is a typical single structure, with agriculture and animal husbandry as the main body of economic development, lacking real diversified industries and specialized and intensive social and economic operation. Therefore, it restricts the level and speed of economic development in the whole region. The development of cities in the region will produce complex division of labor and exchange relations, thus driving the economy.
The role is enormous, and the development and prosperity of industrial and social services need the pull of cities. According to the actual situation, Tibet must attach importance to the development of central towns, take the road of sustainable development, and develop new industrialization and service industry.
Finally, realizing the sustainable development of Tibetan cities is the need for Tibet to further open to the outside world. The early development experience of Tibet tells us that Tibet must objectively break geographical boundaries, make various factors of production flow freely and reasonably in resource allocation, and actively accept the beneficial economic radiation from surrounding areas. According to the current development situation, only by further opening to the outside world can Tibet promote the effective development and utilization of local resources. Only when Tibetan cities are open can they promote the flow and rational allocation of capital, technology, talents and other means of production, and enterprises in cities can establish complex and diverse division of labor and cooperation. With the deepening of reform and opening up in Tibet and the further improvement of urban development, the openness of Tibetan cities has been greatly improved, but there is still a certain distance compared with cities in developed areas in China.
2. Measures for sustainable urban development
Urban eco-economic benefit is an important index to measure urban sustainable development. It is the requirement of the law of coordinated development of social economy and the result of the synchronous and balanced development of population, resources and environment. Urban eco-economic benefit refers to the unity of urban economic benefit and urban ecological benefit. People will not only produce beneficial economic results in the process of social labor, but also bring some negative effects on people's life and production environment, resulting in ecological effects. These two benefits are produced simultaneously in the process of labor and are dialectical unity. Only by putting economic benefits and ecological benefits at the same level of understanding, re-optimizing the combination of various resources, realizing the optimal allocation of resources and improving the effective utilization of production resources, can the sustainable development of cities be realized.
Population, resources and environment are the embodiment of urban ecological and economic benefits. Urban sustainable development requires moderate population growth, rational utilization of resources and active environmental protection. If any of these three things can't be handled well or coordinated, the sustainable and coordinated development of the city can't be realized.
Three. Countermeasures to realize ecological protection and sustainable urban development in Tibet
1. Strengthen the propaganda of ecological protection and raise the awareness of sustainable development in the whole region.
Tibet is a "pure land" in the west of China, and its ecological environment is very fragile due to the special plateau climate environment. Ecological protection is a public welfare undertaking and needs the leadership and support of national and local governments at all levels. In order to further strengthen ecological protection, governments at all levels should incorporate environmental protection into national economic and social development plans, clarify the responsibilities and obligations of relevant departments for ecological environmental protection, and formulate effective preferential policies for environmental protection. Due to historical reasons and the level of development, the rural cadres and masses in most parts of Tibet have a low level of education, coupled with less cultural exchanges, blocked information, poor ability to accept science and technology and new things, and insufficient publicity on the purpose and significance of ecological environmental protection, which makes people misunderstand the work of ecological environmental protection and even set environmental protection against resource development. Therefore, the government should take measures to raise people's awareness of ecological environmental protection, arouse more cadres and the masses' attention to ecological environmental protection, and let the masses fully realize that protecting the environment is to protect their beautiful homeland. The quality of ecological environment is directly related to the improvement of people's production efficiency and living standards. At the same time, mobilize all favorable social conditions, competent departments, social organizations, enterprises, institutions and individuals to participate in the cause of ecological protection, safeguard the benign development of Tibet's ecological environment, and realize the coordinated development of economy, society and environment.
2. Improve the quality of urban planning decision-making and establish a scientific concept of urban development.
Under the excellent situation that the central government cares about Tibet and all parts of the country support Tibet, the urban development in Tibet has begun to take shape, the urban infrastructure construction has been gradually improved, and new cities with modern flavor have sprung up, and the city has taken on a new look. However, we should also see that with the development of cities and towns, there has been a local phenomenon of "altitude sickness" and a series of urban problems have emerged. Is the development model of eastern cities suitable for Tibet? How to solve these unprecedented urban problems? Eastern China is facing increasingly severe challenges in environment, resources and development. The rapid economic development has brought fruitful results, but also accompanied by environmental deterioration, ecological destruction and lack of resources. Many large and medium-sized cities and towns are facing problems such as air, water, garbage and noise pollution, as well as the reality of declining land quality and natural resources degradation. With the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in 2007, it will surely set off a new round of urban economic development in Tibet. Facing the reality, we must improve the quality of urban planning in Tibet and establish a scientific concept of urban development as soon as possible. Therefore, to solve the problem of unsustainable development of Tibetan cities, we must control pollution from the source of "decision-making" and reduce environmental damage. The key lies in whether the institutional arrangements and decisions related to urban development are sustainable. There are many lessons from decision-making mistakes that lead to major environmental pollution and ecological damage, such as "agricultural development in Sanjiang Plain" causing large-scale wetland damage. One-sided implementation of the policy of "taking grain as the key link" leads to deforestation and the resulting soil erosion and floods; Policies formulated in the 1980s to support township enterprises. Including serious environmental pollution caused by enterprises in some areas during the Tenth Five-Year Plan period. [6] The experience and lessons of the development of eastern cities show that the impact of policies, plans and plans is macroscopic, cumulative and long-term potential. If we don't pay attention to the scientific and quality of decision-making in the early stage of decision-making, the consequences are often difficult to make up. Only by conducting environmental impact assessment at the policy or planning level can we lay the foundation for achieving sustainable development. Therefore, in the process of urban development, the principle of sustainability should be the core and subject of the policy.
3. Take the road of sustainable development of eco-city according to local conditions.
Modern cities need not only perfect urban functions, but also better living space and broader development space. However, with the acceleration of urbanization in eastern China, the pressure of ecological environment and natural resources is increasing, which leads to the increasingly prominent contradictions and problems between urban population and urban limited land in urban development, urban economic development and urban environmental deterioration, and affects the sustainable development of cities. In recent years, a new urban development model-eco-city has been put forward at home and abroad. Eco-city is a highly harmonious urban development model between man and nature, and it is an inevitable choice to implement the strategy of sustainable development.
Eco-city planning focuses on "ecological-oriented" overall planning, and its essence is to systematically plan people and nature as a whole from the perspective of ecological thought, so as to make the city develop in a more orderly and stable direction. [4] Tibet has unique ecological and natural conditions, and the urban development in this area is in the initial or accelerated stage. We can make full use of the advantages of less pollution, low management and operation costs and strong environmental plasticity in existing towns, and promote the unity of urban construction and ecological construction in accordance with the concept of "green towns" We should fully learn from the experience and lessons of urban development at home and abroad, avoid the old urban development model of "pollution first, then treatment", avoid the "big city disease" and "anti-urbanization phenomenon" in some developed areas, start from the perspective of long-term development, adjust measures to local conditions, first establish a reasonable eco-city construction target system, and the urban planning process should reasonably coordinate the requirements of nature, society and economy to realize the efficient operation of urban regulation and management. Secondly, the planning of cities in Tibet, the western region and the whole country at different levels should be combined, and urban development should be combined with regional economic development. Third, try to combine urban spatial system with ecosystem, spatial planning, ecological planning and economic planning to seek the best planning scheme that meets the long-term development requirements of Tibetan cities.
4. Fully explore the national culture and provide guarantee for the development of Tibetan cities.
Tibet's history is an important part of China's history and culture, and people in Xizang is an important member of 56 national unity families in China. For thousands of years, people in Xizang has developed the snowy plateau with its diligence, courage and wisdom, and created a unique and profound national traditional culture in this magical land, making it occupy a place in human history and world culture. [5] Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet, the achievements of national cultural construction have been gratifying, and the long history and culture have been inherited and developed. In today's western development strategy
The profound Tibetan culture will provide a strong spiritual guarantee for the economic development of Tibetan cities and will directly affect the formation and development of Tibetan urban culture.
Urban culture includes not only art and culture, but also the lifestyle, basic rights, value system, traditions and beliefs of city members. Urban culture will greatly promote the behavior of all its members, thus affecting all aspects of the city. In the development of Tibetan cities, we should pay more attention to the guiding, condensing, encouraging, restraining and radiating functions of Tibetan culture in urban development, so as to make it the basis for the survival and development of Tibetan cities and a model for building cities with strong local ethnic characteristics.
Four. conclusion
The development of urban economy in Tibet cannot be at the expense of ecological environment. We must use the scientific concept of development, carefully plan from the perspective of sustainable development, improve the quality of the whole nation, and seek the coordinated development of man, nature and social economy. Let Tibet always be the "pure land" in people's hearts.
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