China plans to strengthen environmental protection in the Sanjiangyuan region of west China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the headwater of many of its major rivers.

With an average altitude of 4,000 meters, Sanjiangyuan, which means "source of three rivers" in Chinese, is home to China's largest and highest wetland ecosystem.

The newly approved protection plan for the region aims to expand the rehabilitation area from 152,000 to 395,000 square km, according to a statement released on December 18 after an executive meeting of the State Council, the country's cabinet.

According to the plan, efforts will focus on protecting and rehabilitating vegetation in the area while developing and improved monitoring and warning network tailored to local ecological conditions.