![]() |
![]() ![]() Tibet's Environment: A Crucial Issue "ENVIRONMENTALIST is someone who picks garbage!!" says one Tibetan whom I bump into. The question that often clouds such persons is why some people pay 'undue' attention to Tibet's environment, and not to human rights, political and cultural issues of the Tibetan people. My question to them is: Doesn't the environmental destruction of Tibet profoundly affect the lives of Tibetans in Tibet? Have we forgotten that Tibet's environment is the foundation stone for the continued survival of the Tibetan people and its rich cultural heritage? If there is no environmental resources to provide enough food to eat, pure water to drink, clean air to breathe, clothes to wear and forest to provide shelter, then what is the good of China respecting Tibetan political rights in Tibet? When China completes reducing the Tibetan Plateau to a barren dust bowl, infested with toxic wastes to create polluted water bodies, air, and land, will the Tibetan people and its culture be able to survive and blossom in such a sick environment? Will the forest and wildlife of Tibet ever return to their past glory? Environment of Tibet is the cradle of Tibetan civilization for over two millennia. For the long-term survival of Tibetan culture and tradition, it is a pre-requisite that the environment be conserved sustainably. Without a healthy environment, no culture and tradition can flourish, nor can, sound social and economic development take place. To say the least, the Tibetan culture has an immense potential to benefit countless sentient beings on this earth. Moreover, the protection of environment is in perfect tune with Lord Buddha's teachings. Further, Tibet is one of the greatest reservoirs of many rare wildlife and mineral wealth. The potential value of these natural assets to the present and future generations is incalculable in mere economic terms. The extinction of unique flora and fauna in Tibet is not only a terrible loss, but has severe environmental consequences both at the regional and global level. At the Endangered Tibet Conference, held on 28th September, 1996 in Sydney, Australia, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said in his address, "Environment of Tibet is delicate. If damaged, the effects are felt not only in Tibet, but also in a large area of the globe. So it becomes even more important to protect Tibet's environment.î The enthusiasm of the conference partici-pants representing different countries to save Tibet's environment was overwhelming. Given the current global positive trend to save the earth's remaining natural resources, as proved by several global conferences on the environment, the ecological card of Tibet is a fitting alternative to fight for the self-determination of Tibetans, so that they can manage their environment sustainably as practiced for centuries before the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1949. Moreover, linking environmental harm in Tibet with human rights gives a right-based approach to address the tragedy of Tibet. Environmental destruction is easier to identify and quantify as opposed to human rights abuses in Tibet. Thus the environmental human rights podium can be used to gain international recognition for the gross violation of fundamental rights of the Tibetan people under China's rule. Friends of Tibet need to successfully lobby the support, especially of South Asian countries- whose livelihood is being directly affected by the ongoing devastation of Tibet's fragile environment. When we talk of saving Tibet's environment we are not speaking of benefiting Tibet nor for that matter Tibetans alone, but millions of human beings in Asia. Because major rivers of this continent originate from Tibet to form the lifeblood of people in India, Pakistan, China, Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. When the ten major rivers of the Asian sub-continent, arising from Tibet are polluted, it leads to severe ecocatastrophe on the people living downstream, who depend on these rivers for their livelihood. The polluted rivers finally mix with ocean water to disrupt the marine food-web contaminating fish, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, and other marine food resources, which are internationally exported for global consumption. The impact of the Tibetan Plateau on the global climatic pattern is significant. Scientists have observed that there is a correlation between natural vegetation on the Tibetan Plateau and the stability of the monsoon. Monsoon rain is indispensable for the bread-baskets of South Asia. However, strong monsoon rain causes havoc in these regions in the form of floods, erosions and landslides. Scientists such as Elmar Rieter of United States have shown that environment of the Tibetan Plateau affects the global jet-streams that blow over the Plateau. This in turn causes Pacific typhoons and the el nino (warm ocean current) phenomenon, which stirs up ocean water causing disruption of the marine food chains, affecting the entire economy of California coastline of USA, Peru, Ecuador; while New Zealand, Australia, India and southern Africa reel under dreadful drought. Our research proves that Tibet's environment affects 85 percent of Asia's population and over 47 percent of the world inhabitants. Thus, the environmental issue of Tibet is not a inconsequential regional issue, but has huge global significance to warrant international attention. More than ever before, the need to save the Tibetan Plateau from ecological devastation is urgent. Because, it is not the question of the survival of Tibetans, but the livelihood of half of earth's inhabitants is at stake.
[ Homepage ]
[ Environmental Situation ] [ Green Tibet 1997 ]
|