A total of 48,000 nomadic ethnic Tibetans have settled down since the central government launched a pasture construction and nomadic people settlement programme three years ago.

The pasture construction and nomadic people settlement programme, which will require an investment of 200 million yuan (US$24 million) from the central government and take five years to complete, is one of the many projects being carried out in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The projects were first laid down during the fourth Tibetan Work Conference of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council held in June 2001.

The aim of the projects is to improve production and living conditions in Tibet's rural and pastoral areas.

Information from the regional bureau of agriculture and animal husbandry showed that under the programme, apartments with a combined floor space of 600,000 square metres have been built at a total cost of 130 million yuan (US$15.7 million), thus making the settlement of 48,000 nomadic people possible.

In the meantime, shelters with adequate heat facilities and 1.19 million square metres of enclosures for livestock and 60,000 square metres of grass storage facilities have been set up.

Living conditions for nomadic Tibetans and their ability to protect livestock from catastrophes have improved, creating a foundation for faster growth of animal husbandry in the region.