Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve

Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve

The Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve is a national-level nature reserve.

Introduction The Sanjiangyuan region is located in southern Qinghai Province, bordering the Tibet Autonomous Region to the southwest, Sichuan Province to the east, and the cities of Golmud and Dulan in Qinghai Province to the north. The total area of the Sanjiangyuan Reserve is over 316,000 square kilometers, accounting for 32.7% of Qinghai Province’s total land area.

The Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve is the source of the Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Lancang River, and is known as the “Water Tower of China.” The reserve has four notable features: First, it is the largest nature reserve in China, with an area equivalent to that of two Shandong provinces. Second, it is the highest-altitude natural wetland in China, with an average elevation of around 4,000 meters. According to preliminary scientific calculations, 25% of the Yangtze River’s total water volume, 49% of the Yellow River’s, and 15% of the Lancang River’s originate from the Sanjiangyuan region. Third, it is the most concentrated area of biodiversity at high altitudes in the world, home to more than 70 rare wild animal species. Fourth, it is the most ecologically sensitive area in the three-river basin, where ecological damage could adversely affect the sustainable economic and social development of the provinces and regions within the river basins.

The reserve has initially planned 25 core zones, covering a total area of 111,900 square kilometers, accounting for 30.83% of the total area of the Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve. The protected area spans 17 counties and cities, with a total population of 557,200, predominantly Tibetan.

Qinghai Yushu Prefecture