西部民族地区实施改革开放20年来，经济社会发展取得了显著成就。但是当前存在的问题及其与东部沿海地区的比较差距日趋拉大的状况不容忽视。本文就西部民族地区面向即将到来的21世纪，如何加快经济社会的发展，重点从重建生态、控制人口、加大投入、创新制度四个方面探索并提出对策和措施。 In the past 20 years since the implementation of the reform and opening up in the western minority areas, remarkable achievements have been made in economic and social development. However, the current problems and their widening gap with the eastern coastal areas are becoming more and more serious. This paper explores and proposes countermeasures and measures from four aspects: rebuilding ecology, controlling population, increasing input and innovation system for the upcoming 21st century in the ethnic minority areas in the western region to speed up economic and social development.