LHASA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A total of 17,555 people will be relocated away from high-altitude places in Nagqu City, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, thanks to a local program to improve people's living and protect the plateau region's fragile ecosystem.

Nijia (1st L) and his family members pose for a photo in front of their house at the Rongma relocation settlement, a local poverty alleviation project, in Gurum Township of Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 2, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)

In the next one and half months, the people will move from places with an average altitude of over 4,500 meters above sea level to more hospitable areas of about 3,600 meters in Shannan City.

The people had lived in places with harsh weather and relatively backward production and living conditions, where the grassland degraded, said Wu Wei, director of the regional forestry and grassland administration.

"The relocation scheme reflects a people-centered development thought, taking consideration of both the ecological protection and people's demand for a better life," Wu said.

The region's overall relocation plan will cover more than 130,000 people in Tibet's nearly 100 townships in eight years.