The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau boasts rich natural resources, magnificent sceneries and rare wildlife.

But it's disproportionately affected by climate change. Today, the "planet's third pole" is melting.

The Sanjiangyuan area — the source of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang, or Mekong, rivers — is particularly crucial to ecological health in the region and beyond.

Qinghai has been innovating to protect the environmental pillars that prop up "the roof of the world". Grassland coverage increased by 26 percent last year alone. And the populations of endangered species have been recovering in recent decades.

Follow China Daily journalist Erik Nilsson to discover what successful strategies China is using to preserve this precious ecosystem — and how these are changing Qinghai and the world.

Video:Chen Xinyu

Reporter: Erik Nilsson