SANSHA - Construction on several environmental preservation projects has kicked off in the newly established island city of Sansha in the South China Sea, authorities said Wednesday.

Construction on a sewage processing and pipeline project and a garbage collecting and transferring project started on Aug 25, sources with the Sansha government said.

The two projects, being built with a combined investment of over 50 million yuan ($7.9 million), will be capable of processing 1,800 tonnes of sewage and 20 tonnes of garbage each day upon completion, according to the sources.

Another project that kicked off on Sept 14 is aimed at protecting island coasts that have been eroded by the sea.

The government of Hainan, a southern province that administers Sansha, will prioritize environmental protection in all construction projects, as Sansha's ecological environment is fragile and non-renewable, said provincial governor Jiang Dingzhi.

Meanwhile, the Sansha government is working on a development plan that will include transportation and ecological protection as part of upgrades for the city's infrastructure, sources said.

Sansha was officially set up on July 24 on Yongxing Island to administer the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha islands and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea.