The central government will allocate 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) in the next 22 years to protect the ecological environment in the Tibet autonomous region, officials said yesterday.

The ecological protection plan of Tibet, which will last till 2030, was approved by the State Council on Feb 18, Du Ying, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said while attending a discussion of the Tibet delegation during the ongoing two sessions.

"The plan, with a total investment of 15 billion yuan, is the second ecological protection plan on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau following the plan to protect the sources of the three major rivers (Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers)," he said. "It (the plan) is of great significance."