TIBET 2OOO Environment and Development Issues Environment and Development Desk, DIIR Central Tibetan Administration Gangchen Kyishong Dharamsala, HP, India 2000 Published by the Environment and Development Desk, DIIR Central Tibetan Administration Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamsala, 176215 District Kangra, HP, India [email protected] website: www.tibet.net April 2000 Copyright 2000 Environment and Development Desk, DIIR ISBN 81-86230-29-7 Tibet 2000: Environment and Development Issues Project Team Project Director and Principal Researcher Tsultrim Palden Dekhang Researchers Tashi Choedon Bidhartsang Khedup Waiser Judy Duncan Nick Schofield Lorne Stockman Laura Ziemer Editorial Consultant Jane Perkins Production Tsering Yangkey Dekyi Tsondue Cartographer Dr. Kunchok Tsundue Acknowledgements The Environment and Development Desk, DIIR would like to thank the following individuals and organisations for their contributions and support: Anusha Fernando, Nicholas Schofield, Judy Duncan, Lorne Stockman, Laura Ziemer, Kunchok Tsundue, Susan Mizrahi, Gabriel Lafitte, Peter Raine, Catherine Moore, John Ackerly, Lodi G. Gyari, Tempa Tsering, Bhuchung K. Tsering, Tseten Samdrup, Chris Rapaport, Leslie Dickout, Karin Tang, Markus Strumpel, Jordhen Chazotsang, Pema Dorjee, Rachel Fleming, Department of Security, Planning Council and Tibetan Reception Centre of CTA, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, ICT, ICLT, TIN, TYC and the staff of DIIR. Our special thanks to Milarepa Fund for funding the research for this report. For further information on Tibet and its environment, please visit our official website: www.tibet.net DEDICATION Dedicated to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet whose concern for the future of this planet and message of non-violence continues to inspire us all. PREFACE WHY SAVE TIBET’S ENVIRONMENT? TIBET, popularly known as the “Roof of the World”, existed for over 2,000 years as a sovereign nation, with its three administrative regions, Kham, Amdo and U-Tsang, spanning 2.5 million sq. km. Communist China invaded the country in 1949. And today Beijing refers only to the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (1.2 million sq. km) created in 1965 as “Tibet”. The Tibetan Plateau is the highest and largest plateau on earth and towers over the continent of Eurasia. It is home to over 5,000 higher plant species and over 12,000 species of vascular plants, 532 different species of birds, 126 identified minerals and has rich old growth forests. It is also the source of many of Asia’s major rivers whose tributaries are the lifeblood of millions of people in the Asian continent. Our research figures show that rivers originating from Tibet sustain the lives of 47 per cent of the world’s population. Thus, the environmental issue of Tibet is not an inconsequential regional issue; it has a huge global significance warranting international attention. Scientists have shown that the environment of the Tibetan Plateau affects the global jetstreams that blow over it. This in turn causes Pacific typhoons and the El Nino (warm ocean current) phenomenon, which stirs up ocean water causing disruption to marine food chains, affecting the weather patterns and the economy of Peru, Ecuador and the California coastline of USA, while New Zealand, Australia, India and Southern Africa reel under dreadful drought. It also has an important influence on the monsoon, which provides essential rainfall for the breadbaskets of South Asia to meet the food needs of millions of people. The monsoon contributes 70 per cent to India’s annual rainfall. But excessive rain leads to flooding while little or no rain causes drought and famine in South Asia. Ever since the Chinese occupation of Tibet, widespread environmental destruction has taken place due to logging of virgin forests, uncontrolled mining, water pollution and nuclear waste dumping, which has resulted in the degradation of grasslands, extinction of wildlife, desertification, floods, soil erosion and landslides. Also, the transfer of huge numbers of Chinese settlers into Tibet demonstrates the colonial nature of Chinese rule. Under such a system, Tibetans have been marginalised in the economic, educational, political and social spheres and Tibet’s rich culture and traditions are rapidly disappearing. Given the high altitude and the extreme climatic conditions of Tibet, the damage caused to the environment and the fragile mountain ecosystem is becoming irreversible. This is a cause of great concern not only for the Tibetan people; it has much larger ramifications. More than ever before, the need to save the Tibetan Plateau from ecological devastation is urgent because it is not a question of the survival of Tibetans, but half of humanity is at stake. It is for this reason that His Holiness the Dalai Lama included the protection of Tibet’s environment as one of the points in his Five-Point Peace Plan for Tibet, and spoke of Tibet becoming an oasis of peace and non-violence where man and nature will co-exist harmoniously. Through extensive research this report details the destruction of Tibet’s environment and the inherent dangers to our planet today. We hope this publication will fill a knowledge gap and help increase ecological awareness about Tibet to save its unique and fragile environment. Kalon T.C. Tethong Minister Department of Information and International Relations i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY living creatures, whereby man lives in an BIODIVERSITY interdependent partnership with his environment, the Chapter 1: Pages 1-18 Chinese colonists have viewed all wildlife as an economic resource for human use and gain. This AN EARLY botanist-explorer perceived Tibet as “one great attitude is the underlying cause of today’s rapid loss zoological garden”. By remaining isolated and undisturbed of biodiversity. until the mid - 20th century the plateau’s vast landmass of Most rare animal, bird and plant species are found in the 2.5 million sq.km is a storehouse of innumerable species more temperate forests of Eastern and Southeast Tibet which are necessary to the balance of life worldwide: “What the very ancient, dense forests where China’s clear-fell logging takes place in Tibet also affects global biodiversity and the activities have been most intense. To settle and feed Chinese life of people throughout the world”, asserts the World Wide migrants, the species-rich rangelands of Northeast Tibet are Fund for Nature. being converted to farmland, depriving nomads of their Although Tibet remains one of the few countries on the traditional grazing pastures. globe to have limited scientific research carried out on the Mammals are largely endangered due to hunting and biological aspects of its diverse species, scientists compare poaching some for the commercial value of their wool, the plateau’s known biodiversity to the Amazon Rainforest. antlers, skins, fur, bones and inner organs; some gunned Endemic flora and fauna abound many currently down as trophies to take home to China or sell as meat. endangered and due to the variety and complexity of Fish are dynamited in lakes and rivers. While wildlife unique ecological niches across the massive landscape Tibet conservation laws are in place in the legal system, their is still seen as a final sanctuary for some of the world’s rare implementation is weak and barely enforced since wildlife is plant and animal species. a state-controlled commodity and therefore categorised as a The statistics are staggering. Over 12,000 species of renewable and exploitable resource. 1,500 genera of vascular plants are identified; fungi alone Because the loss of Tibet’s unique flora and fauna would account for 5,000 species of 700 genera; of the more than be irreversible, the potential impact on the fabric of the 5,000 higher plant species in 280 families over 100 are woody plateau’s living system and on the evolutionary process is of plants of 300 species. There are altogether 400 species of grave global concern. rhododendron on the Tibetan Plateau, which make up about 50% of the world’s total species. Of immense value and WATER RESOURCES potential to medical science are the over 2,000 medicinal Chapter 2: Pages 19-41 plants in the wild. The animal world is equally rich. There are 210 species THE MOST political commodity of the 20th century was of mammals in 29 families; endemic animals are abundant oil. With environmentalists identifying water as the resource and include the snow leopard, blue sheep, giant panda, red that will lead to wars this century, Tibet’s pivotal importance panda, golden monkey, Tibetan argali, takin, musk deer, in sustaining life on earth will spiral. The Tibetan Plateau is Tibetan antelope and Tibetan gazelle, wild yak and the source to the world’s 10 greatest river systems which flow Himalayan marmot and Himalayan woolly hare. And downstream to feed the most populous region on earth: although the plateau remains an ornothological paradise with China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, 532 bird species in 57 families, at least 37 are endangered Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand all depend upon including the rare endemic black-necked crane, tragopan, Tibetan watersheds and rivers for their survival. That adds Tibetan eared pheasant, Tibetan snowcock and Tibetan sand up to 47% of the world’s population. grouse. Today more than 81 animal species in Tibet are The headwaters of China’s two great rivers the Yangtze endangered. and the Yellow River lie high in Tibet’s northeastern and The danger of extinction began with China’s invasion in eastern provinces: downstream 1,250 million Chinese depend 1949. In an ethical reversal of Buddhism’s respect for all on their flows to supply four fifths of China’s water. ii In 1998 and 1999 summers these flows brought China’s unbridled economic growth, catastrophe. The worst flooding of the Yangtze in 40 industrialisation and urbanisation has contributed to years left between 3,656 and 10,000 dead in August widespread water pollution and scarcity.