三江源的守护者

杨培花

长天如海，万山茫茫。在美丽壮阔的青藏高原上，有一个皑皑冰雪与茵茵草原交织而成的神秘世界。从万仞冰川与雪山中发源的涓涓细流，穿山辟谷，不舍昼夜，最终汇聚成长江、黄河与澜沧江最初的源流。这里沼泽湿地密集，珍稀植物随处可见，野生动物自由奔走，原始的高寒生态系统维系着亚洲生态安全的命脉；这里滋养万物，是名副其实的“中华水塔”，每年向中下游地区供净水600 多亿立方米，解决了6 亿人的饮水问题；这里文明荟萃，多民族多文化交汇融合。这里就是中华民族的万山之宗、龙脉之源的三江源。

Beneath the expansive sky， nestled amidstboundless mountains， lies the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau—a mysterious realm where ice and snow mingle withvibrant green grasslands. Here， tiny streams originatefrom towering glaciers and snowy peaks， meanderingthrough mountains and valleys and nurturing the mighty Yangtze， Yellow，and Lancang Rivers dayand night. The area， richin wetlands and adornedwith rare plants， supportsa diverse range of wildlifethriving within a pristinehigh-altitude ecosystem.It’s rightfully called the“Water Tower of China，” providing over 600 billioncubic meters of fresh water downstream annuallyand meeting the needs of 600 million people. Thisarea is known as Sanjiangyuan， a place where manycivilizations and cultures converge. It is the bedrock ofChina’s mountains and the source of its river system.

然而，隨着全球气候变暖，加之受自然灾害、鼠害以及人类过度开采等影响，三江源的生态系统遭受了严重破坏。20 世纪90 年代，中科院大气物理研究所的探险队进入青海省三江源地区考察，提出了“开发大西北，保护三江源”的建议。2000 年8 月19 日，三江源自然保护区成立。2003 年1 月，三江源自然保护区升级为国家级自然保护区。

Howe ve r， d u e t o g l oba lwarming， coupled with naturaldisasters， rodent infestations， andoverexploitation， the ecosystem ofSanjiangyuan has suffered severedamage. In the 1990s， the Instituteof Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academyof Sciences sent a team to investigate the area and proposed a vision of “developing the great northwestwhile protecting Sanjiangyuan.” Their efforts led to theestablishment of the Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve onAugust 19th， 2000， which later gained national-levelstatus in January 2003.

而在此之前，其实早已有一群默默无闻的守护者自发组织起来，用他们坚持不懈的努力甚至生命，为三江源地区筑起了一道“环保城墙”。他们是牧人，是三江源地区的生态管护员，是专家学者和环保志愿者。他们来自五湖四海，默默无闻地为人与自然的和谐相处努力着，坚持着。

Even before official recognition， adedicated group of unsung heroes hadembarked on a mission to safeguardSanjiangyuan. Through relentlessefforts， they built an “environmentalprotection wall，” with some evensacrificing their lives for this cause.These individuals， including herders，ecological stewards， experts， scholars，and volunteers from various cornersof China， worked quietly and tirelessly to fosterharmony between humanity and nature.

可可西里守护神

Guardians of Hoh Xil

索南达杰是较早发起可可西里生态环境保护的人之一。早在1988 年，他就向青海省治多县政府提交了《关于管理和开发可可西里的报告》。1991 年，索南达杰兼任西部工委书记，组建了我国第一支武装反盗猎队伍。他先后12 次进入可可西里腹地进行勘察和巡查，行程达6 万公里，一年中有354 天在可可西里度过。1994 年，索南达杰在与不法分子的较量中，不幸中弹牺牲。可可西里零下40℃的低温，把他冻成冰雪雕塑，身边是盗猎者丢弃的近2 000 张藏羚羊皮。他的牺牲震惊了全中国，唤醒了全民族的生态保护意识，让更多的人加入保护生态环境的队伍。

Sonam Dargyewas one of theearliest pioneersin the ecological conservation movement in Hoh Xil.His involvement dated to 1988 when he submitted areport to the Zhiduo County government in QinghaiProvince， emphasizing the critical need for themanagement and development of Hoh Xil. By 1991， hehad assumed the additional role of secretary of localworker’s committee and established China’s first armedanti-poaching team. Sonam’s dedication led him tothe heartlands of Hoh Xil， where he organized surveysand patrols for 12 times. His travels measured 60，000kilometers in length， and he lived in the area 354 daysa year. Unfortunately， his efforts came to a tragic end in1994 when he was fatally shot by poachers. His body，frozen in temperatures as low as —40°C， together withnearly 2，000 Tibetan antelope hides he sized， servedas a stark reminder of the poaching crisis. Sonam’sdeath reverberated throughout China， capturing national attention， and igniting a powerful ecologicalconservation movement.

第二年，他的妹夫扎巴多杰毅然离开玉树州人大法制委员会副主任岗位，接过索南达杰的枪。扎巴多杰的儿子秋培扎西13 岁就和父亲一起巡护可可西里，大学毕业后，他和父辈做了同样的选择，再次走进可可西里。

A year later， Sonam’sbrother-in-law， ZabaDorje， left his positionas the deputy director ofthe Judicial Committeeof the Yushu PrefecturePeople’s Congress tocarry on the mission.Demonstrating the sameunwavering commitment，Zaba’s son， ChoephelTashi， embarked on hisconservation journeyat just 13 years old，eventually dedicating hislife to safeguarding Hoh Xil after completing his universityeducation.

1997 年，“綠色江河”（四川省绿色江河环境保护促进会）的创始人杨欣，带领11 位来自天南地北的志愿者，在海拔4 500 米的高原上，在没有任何外援的情况下，硬是用最简陋的工具建成了可可西里第一个自然保护站，并以“索南达杰”命名。这是中国民间也是可可西里的第一个自然保护站，它扼守在进入可可西里的主要路口，成为反偷猎的前沿阵地。

In 1997， Yang Xin， the founder of “Green River”（Greenriver Environmental Protection Association ofSichuan Province）， rallied 11 volunteers from acrossChina to establish the first nature reserve station inHoh Xil. Despite limited resources and no externalassistance， the team successfully built up the facilityat an altitude of 4，500 meters and named it “Sonam Dargye” in honor of the fallenhero. As China’s first nongovernmentalnature reservestation， it is positioned atthe primary entrance tothe region and serves as aformidable barrier againstpoaching.

30 年间，4.5 万平方公里的可可西里已经从最初的无人区发展成为国家级自然保护区，并在2017 年成功申请为世界自然遗产地。现在，该地的藏羚羊已经从20 世纪90 年代不足2 万只恢复到了7 万多只，可可西里连续15 年不再有枪声。

Fast forward three decades， Hoh Xil， once apristine wilderness spanning 45，000 square kilometers，is now a national nature reserve. It is also a WorldNatural Heritage site designated in 2017. The numberof Tibetan antelopes in the area， which was fewer than20，000 in the 1990s， has risen to more than 70，000.Hoh Xil has enjoyed 15 years of tranquility without asingle gunshot.

草原生态守护者

Grassland Stewards

研究发现，垃圾正在成为长江源乃至青藏高原最大的环境问题。

Research has identified trash pollution as thebiggest environmental concern at the source of theYangtze River and the wider Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

2011 年，“绿色江河”筹款在青海建立了中国民间第二个自然保护站—长江源水生态环境保护站。志愿者们深入牧区，对牧民开展垃圾分类及回收的教育。通过用垃圾换食品、物品的方式，引导牧民把垃圾带到保护站，再通过空返车辆和自驾游客，把垃圾带到城市处置。志愿者们的努力感染了数万游客和司机，每年人们从长江源带走的垃圾就有上百万件。

In 2011， Green River funded the Yangtze RiverSource Water Ecological Environment ProtectionStation， China’s second NGO nature reserve in Qinghai.It sent volunteers to cultivate a culture of waste sortingand recycling among herders. To incentivize herders toparticipate， a barter system was introduced， allowingthem to exchange their trash for food and other essentialitems. The collected waste was then transported to urbanareas for proper disposal using returning empty vehiclesand tourists driving their own vehicles. Remarkably， thisinitiative has impacted tens of thousands of tourists anddrivers and has resulted in the removal of millions ofpieces of trash from the Yangtze River source annually.

“像保護眼睛一样保护生态环境，像对待生命一样对待生态环境。”三江源自然保护区成立至今，政府累计投入资金300 亿元，近10 万牧民搬离了草原，超过7 万户牧民主动减少了牲畜养殖数目。三江源国家公园“一户一岗”生态管护公益岗位也让1.72 万名牧民从草原利用者变为生态守护者。牧民们通过捡拾垃圾，巡山护水，保护野生动植物，实现生态、生活共赢，人均年收入达2.16 万元。

The motto guiding these efforts is “to cherish theecological environment as one would cherish their eyesand hold it as dear as life itself.” Since the establishmentof the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve， the government has invested a total of 30 billion RMB inenvironmental conservation. Nearly 100，000 herders haverelocated from the grasslands， and over 70，000 householdshave voluntarily reduced their livestock numbers. Underthe reserve’s “one household， one post” program， 17，200herders have transitioned from mere grassland usersto dedicated ecological guardians， assuming variousresponsibilities， including trash collection， patrolling，and wildlife protection. They have successfully struck abalance between preserving the ecosystem and sustainingtheir livelihoods， with one person making an averageincome of 21，600 RMB per year.

通天河上的“火眼金睛”

The “Eyes” of the Tongtian River

一部《西游记》让人们记住了长江上游河流的一个别名—通天河。负责在通天河进行水上巡线的是“岗当村生态管护队”。队员们全是当地藏族牧民出身。他们采用漂流巡线方式负责岗当村近800 平方公里的日常巡线值守，每个月进行三次集中大规模巡护，调查、记录并保护所在长江源区域的野生动植物等生态资源，及时发现、打击盗猎盗采等违法活动。

The renowned novel Journey to the West introducedus to an alternate name for the upper reaches of theYangtze River： the Tongtian River. This vital region is under the watchful care of the “Gangdang Village Eco-Team，” consisting entirely of local Tibetan herdsmen.Their mission involves rigorous patrols and dailysurveillance of an expansive 800-square-kilometerarea surrounding Gangdang Village. Each month， theyorganize three comprehensive patrols to documentand safeguard the ecological treasures of this region，including its native wildlife and plants. They are swiftto respond to any illegal activities， such as poachingand unauthorized harvesting.

而通天河沿岸的云塔村则尝试用各种方式监测行踪诡秘的食肉动物。每个月村民们都会去自己负责的山谷定点观测记录岩羊数量，放置红外相机。这样风雨无阻的坚持，一晃就是十多年。

Downstream， in Yunta Village， innovative methodsare employed to track the elusive predators of theregion. Villagers are assigned specific valleys wherethey install infrared cameras and meticulously observeand record the population of Himalayan blue sheepevery month. Regardless of weather conditions， theyhave persevered in this mission for over a decade.

生活在海拔3 900 米的甘达村村民，承担起村域约9.5 万亩的水源样本采集监测工作。大家翻山越岭，共同守护着扎曲河的300 多个泉眼。巴丁是三江源生态环保协会的一名环保带头人。2015 年，他作为甘达村第四生产队的队长，前后推动了甘达村18 处水源地的保护，从命名到垃圾清理和水源治理。这些工作完成后，他又帶领大家为一些重要水源地修建祭祀塔，以帮助后代建立起保护水源的意识。

Living at an altitude of 3，900 meters， the peopleof Ganda Village take on the task of monitoring andcollecting water samples within a 15，650-acre rangeof their local area. They navigate mountains andhills， protecting more than 300 springs that feed theZhaqu River. Bading is an environmental leader inthis movement. In 2015， as the head of the fourthproduction team of Ganda Village， he spearheaded theprotection of 18 water sources in his village， overseeingeverything from naming them to garbage cleanup andwater management. Upon the completion of these tasks， he led the community in constructing sacrificialtowers at key water sources to foster a sense of waterconservation for future generations.

在三江源，这样的故事有太多太多……

In Sanjiangyuan， countless tales like these unfold...

在所有人多年不懈的努力和坚持下，三江源已呈现出一幅人与自然和谐共生的美丽画卷。广袤无垠的高山草原、古老的原始森林、满山遍野的珍贵生灵，再次焕发出生机。每至繁殖季节，便可见群鸟蹁跹，牦牛成群，骏马嘶鸣……

Through years of unwavering commitment， thepeople of Sanjiangyuan have woven a living tapestry ofharmonious interaction between humanity and nature.Today， the highland meadows teem with renewed life，ancient forests stand tall and proud， and wildlife regaintheir vitality. Each breeding season witnesses flocks ofbirds taking flight， yak herds congregating， and spiritedhorses expressing their joyous neighs.