La protezione del “tesoro bianco” cinese: riflessioni sul diritto in materia di ghiacciai a partire dal Regolamento di protezione dei ghiacciai della Regione autonoma del Tibet

2025 was proclaimed by the UN as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation. This initiative has been particularly relevant for China, where some of the world’s tallest mountain ranges are located. As it is shown in the third Chinese Glacier Inventory, published in 2025 and based on data collected in 2020, the surface covered with ice is considerably smaller compared to the past, and thousands of glaciers have already disappeared. From a legal point of view, while the Chinese Constitution does not mention glaciers directly, it establishes the importance of environmental protection. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Protection Law of 2023 also deals with the melting ice issue, and the Regulation on Glacier Protection of the Tibet Autonomous Region is entirely dedicated to the protection of these vulnerable ecosystems. This article analyzes the characteristics of this regulation and presents some considerations on its role within the Chinese environmental law system.