Congratulations, and gratitude too, to the authorities of Lhoka prefecture of the Tibet autonomous region.

Their decision to ban a planned cruise service that was due to begin operations at the end of the month on the Yamzhog Yumco, one of China's "sacred lakes", will be of tremendous benefit to the conservation of the fragile local ecological system.

People in Tibet have every right to enjoy better lives, and tourism has great potential. People swarm to the "land of snow" on the roof of the world not just because of its culture, but also its spectacular landscape. The lakes there, Yamzhog Yumco, in particular, are not only attractive spots for sightseeing, but also of special significance in the local culture.

Opening a cruise service on the emerald lake would no doubt have been very profitable, given Yamzhog Yumco's unrivalled natural beauty and its identity as one of China's "sacred lakes". And the subsequent revenues would have been a huge boost to the local economy.

But the idea is a very bad one, because it puts the area's ecological well-being in harm's way. Cruise boats and tourists will inevitably pollute the lake.

The most feared scenario in Tibet's pursuit of modernity has been the repetition of what has happened elsewhere in the country. The merciless chase for profits at the price of the environment can only result in more costly consequences in Tibet thanks to the extreme vulnerability of ecological systems at high altitudes.

There have been strong impulses to tap into Tibet's rich resources in planning local development, which is beyond reproach for a region eager to catch up in the nationwide race for prosperity. But considering the regrettable losses the coastal areas have inflicted upon themselves, environmental concerns should weigh more heavily in Tibet's development.

The Lhoka authorities' decision to prohibit all institutions and individuals from conducting any commercial development on Yamzhog Yumco, therefore, is of far-reaching significance to the area's and the Tibet autonomous region's environmental well-being. And we thank them for making it.

(China Daily 06/19/2012 page8)