A natural reserve will be set up to protect the shrinking Glacier No. 1 in the Tianshan Mountains in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, authorities said on Wednesday.

All mining sites will be shut down in three to five years in the 948-sq-km protection area, said Zhao Zhigang, an official with Xinjiang's Environmental Protection Department.

The regional government will restrict vehicles on a national highway section near the reserve and strictly ban tourists from entering the protection zone, Zhao said.

Authorities will also take measures to deal with wild herb digging activities, he added.

The regional government has established a leading team for the construction of the reserve.

Grazing will be restricted in the area.

"The series of moves aims to reduce the impact of human activities on the glacier to the lowest level and better protect the glacier and rare animal and plant resources in the area," said Zhao.

"The area of the glacier has shrunk from 1.95 sq km in 1962 to the current 1.62 sq km. Its bottom has thinned by more than 40 meters," said Li Zhongqin, head of the Tianshan Mountains Glacier Observation Station under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

With an altitude of 3,750 meters, the glacier is retreating by four to eight meters every year, said Li, warning that both natural and human factors have accelerated its melting.

Approximately 120 km from the regional capital of Urumqi, Glacier No. 1 is the closest glacier to a city in the world.

In 2006, the local government of Urumqi ruled that tourists were not allowed to visit Glacier No. 1 in order to protect the city's water source.

However, some visitors have managed to find their way to the area as there are no fences or guards to prevent entry.

More than a dozen households of herdsmen inhabit the area. To make money, some herdsmen have been taking tourists to the area by motorcycle.

China has 46,377 glaciers, with 18,311 located in Xinjiang. The Autonomous region's glacier melt water accounts for about 25 to 30 percent of its surface run-off, and the thawing of the glaciers could have a disastrous effect on the region, according to the CAS. (Xinhua)