Environmental Protection and Real Achievements in Tibet

　　Alessandra Spalletta (Italy)

　　In the last few years China has been pouring huge efforts into environmental protection in Tibet. However Tibet’s environmental challenges have triggered a hot debate on the impact of economic development on environment degradation. Such debate sheds light on the lack of information and understanding of the ecological improvement in Tibet. In fact the Chinese government attaches great importance to ecological improvement and environmental protection in Tibet. “It has made tremendous efforts to strengthen ecological improvement and environmental protection work in Tibet, promote the sustainable development of its economy and society, and improve the quality of life of the people of its various ethnic groups” the People’s Daily reported. “For over half a century, ecological improvement and environmental protection in Tibet, as an important part of the effort to modernize Tibet, has, together with economic development, social progress and enhancement of people's li ving standards, pressed forward and made great achievements. It would help clarify some people's misunderstanding concerning Tibet's eco-environmental problem and enhance their understanding of Tibet to review the progress of the ecological improvement and environmental protection work in Tibet, to present the status quo of this undertaking, and to envisage the prospects of sustainable development for the region”.

　　The State Council Information Office issued a white paper on March 10 2013 titled “Ecological Improvement and Environmental Protection in Tibet”. This official documents must be referred to as remarkable source of understanding of the “Roof of The World” amid unofficial misleading news often reported by foreign media and NGOs. If on the one hand it is crucial for the Chinese government to spread the correct information and knowledge about the opportunities and challenges for the development of Tibet, on the other hand it is useful for China to understand the hot-botton debate over Tibet’s environment and development in order to better provide Chinese and international experts with strong evidence to address such a sensitive topic.

　　“Tibet is extremely important both for China and for the rest of the world. Not only for its hydro geological resources, but also for its cultural tradition. I think the Chinese government must continue to pay serious attention to the impact of hydro geological activities on the cultural environment”, said Donatella Rossi, professor at Department of Oriental Religious Studies, University of Rome La Sapienza (Italy).

　　One should not be surprised by the great attention shown by the Chinese authorities to the Tibetan plateau; China's Tibet Autonomous Region is situated on the main body of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It has been called the "Roof of the World" and the "Third Pole of the Earth"; some features such as high altitude, unique geographical features, rich wildlife, water and mineral resources, have rendered Tibet the "source of rivers" and the "ecological source" for the areas in South and Southeast Asia. Moreover, as People’s Daily stressed, it is the "starter" and "regulating area" of the climate of China and indeed of the Eastern Hemisphere as a whole. Thus any change of the ecology of Tibet should have enormous impact on global climate.

　　In 2009 China already planned to spend 15bn yuan on environmental protection in Tibet, including measures to halt the encroachment of deserts on the roof of the world . Despite the green funding, the Tibetan plateau is suffering from soil erosion, melting permafrost, shrinking glaciers, grassland degredation and declining biodiversity. According to foreign media and NGOs, Tibet’s environmental challenges are the result of increasing human activity and climate change.

　　In this paper foreign media’s erratic dissertation and figures about Tibet will be provided in order to compare them with the official wisdom provided by Chinese authorities, whose main challenge is to spread a correct knowledge about what it is still seen as a mysterious region through western lenses.

　　Climate change. Tibet’s temperatures have risen 0.32C every 10 years since 1961. Such a fast rate, according to international scientists, caused ice fields on the “third pole” to unfreeze faster than anywhere else in China. One forecast quoted by Tibet Natural Environment Conservation Network – an NGO run by Tibetan exiles – warns that 80% of the glacial area in Tibet could disappear by 2035.  Above in this paper we will compare such misleading information with the correct knowledge provided by the Chinese government.

　　Human Activity. The population of Tibet has tripled in the same period “as a result of influx of migrant from China’s dominat Han ethnic majority” (The Guardian).

　　It is obvious that as China faces serious environmental challenges nationwide, Tibet is no expection. Under the governement’s new ecological protection plan, funds have been provided to grow forest shelter belts to protect against gales, expand clean energy, preserve grasslands, woods and wetland, protect endangered animals. Moreover, as announced by the country’s 12th five year plan, Tibet is doomed to become a mining center and a hydropower engine.  According to some environmental experts quoted by The Atlantic, “by 2020, the focus of hydropower development would be gradually shifted to Tibet’s rivers,” said Zhiyong Yan, the General Manager of the China Hydroelectricity Engineering Consulting Group in a 2011 interview for Newenergy.org. “Most of Tibet’s hydropower is to be sent out for the whole country’s energy needs,” he added, noting that 20% of hydropower produced in China could eventually come from Tibet.

　　Some international experts’s assumption is that whilst the environmental impact of mining are well-know, those of hydropower are less so. Hydropower is being developed in part to meet China’s goal of ensuring that non-fossil fuel accounts for 15% of the energy supply by 2020. However, this not only poses geological risks, especially in southwest China, but also involves environmental degradation around project sites, population migration issues, and other less obvious environmental challenges. “Hydropower is sometimes accompanied by and becomes a cheap energy supply for heavily polluting industries such as the mining industry,” said Jun Ma, the director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs in Beijing, in his 2009 article, “Hydropower’s Overexpansion Will Not Help Reduce Carbon Emissions.” Indeed, the environment has been greatly impacted in both the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and the greater Tibetan region.

　　The international experts are not less worried about the impact of the growing mining activities on Tibet’s environments. In early April, several satellite images were sent to Southern Weekly. The story was widely reported by the New York Times. The pictures suggested that the fatal landslide in a Tibetan mining site on March 29 — labeled a “natural disaster” — might be related to inappropriate and illegal operations. However, as The Atlantic suggested, Southern Weekly did not pursue the matter further, believing that the evidence was “still not strong enough” for them to address such a sensitive topic, although several Chinese and international experts believed otherwise. “There is no question that the landslide was caused by reckless placement of mine waste by the gold mining operations,” said Jack Spadaro, a mining safety and health and environment specialist, after carefully viewing the two satellite images taken in 2010 and 2012 that were sent by Robbie Barnett, the Director of Modern Tibet Studies in Columbia University. “Based on the available information and those satellite images, it is obvious that the accident is related to mining activities, rather than a pure ‘natural disaster’ as claimed by so-called experts,” said Yang, a geologist specializing in the west China region.

　　Chinese dream will become reality only if China learns to manage change. Bin Zhao examines some of the challenges that stand in the way of this unifying goal in an article appeared on South China Morning Post . “There has been much analysis already of President Xi Jinping’s vision of the “Chinese dream”. One thing has become clear: striving to achieve the dream is a common goal”, he writes. “From the perspective of modern management theory, the process of achieving the dream falls under the category of change management. Indentifying the stakeholders and relevant environments will provide a better viewpoint to foresee the coming changes”.  With regard to Tibet, I think the Chinese government must identify the main sensitive issues that are easily manipulated by other countries as well as by a diverse public opinion for political reasons. A correct information controlled and spread by the Chinese Central Government would stop the dissemination of uncorrect sources of information, such as those quoted in this essay.

　　The Atlantic insists on the existence of a “hot-buttom debate” fostered by the assumption that the environmental problem in Tibet is often framed as a choice between environmental protection and economic development. For instance, it is believed that “hydropower is being developed in part to meet China’s goal of ensuring that non-fossil fuel accounts for 15% of the energy supply by 2020 ”. However, according to international experts, this not only poses geological risks, especially in southwest China, but also involves environmental degradation around project sites, population migration issues, and other less obvious environmental challenges. “Hydropower is sometimes accompanied by and becomes a cheap energy supply for heavily polluting industries such as the mining industry,” said Jun Ma, the director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs in Beijing, in his 2009, “Hydropower’s Overexpansion Will Not Help Reduce Carbon Emissions.”  Indeed, the environment has been greatly impacted in both the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and the greater Tibetan region.

　　Among the main sub-issues related to environmental protections, one should not forget the apparent lack of regulation (the implementation of projects, even after vicious fights, has been problematic; without real regulation and public monitoring, even licensing has become unreliable). The mindset is also a significant problem. Some people believe that “eco-tourism and eco-products like Lhasa beer could generate development, given that Tibet’s unique competitive advantage is its pristine environment”.  For some the environmental problems faced by Tibet are similar to problems in other parts of China, and more universal than political. 

　　“In Tibet, environmental problems are politicized and treated as stability problems,” said Droje, a Tibetan scholar in TAR quoted by The Atlantic, although he agrees that it is necessary to consider environmental challenges in a broader context. “Different parties, including both the Chinese government and overseas ‘human rights’ activists, always politicalize problems in Tibet, making real environmental challenges untouchable,” said Gao, an environmental NGO worker in western China. 

　　The Chinese authorities are succeeding to address the needs of Tibetans who best advance their cause by advocating for things that are good for all Chinese people, since they share many of the same needs: clean air, clean water, and basic rights .

　　According to a recent paper published by CASS  titled “Rationally decipher the image of Tibet” 理性解读西藏形象,  to many experts the image that western countries have on  Tibet doesn’t match with the real one. Despite the British invasion of  Tibet in 1904, the West didn't have the opportunity to know Tibet. On  the contrary they started a mystification of Tibet, putting the image of Tibet apart as a barbarian region while building the mythology of  "Shangri-la". Such a process was made more real by the western literature and especially by the British novel "Lost Horizon" and the novel written by  Lobsang Rampa "The third eye", an autobiography about a young  man's journey into becoming a medical Lama. “However, even though his novel is about Tibetan life, the was British and never visited Tibet,  nor he had any knowledge of Tibetan language. So western people, as Chen  Zhigang – member of the Research Institute on Marxism of the Chinese  Academy of Social Sciences - said, do not love the real Tibet, but their  image of Tibet. Every people have their own understanding and knowledge  of Tibet. Some are worried about the concern of public order in the area  or about the backwardness of the region as located at the edge of China”. But once they arrive in Tibet they discover is a "sunny and quite  developed country compared to the past". Over the years Tibet has become the "Holy land" in the tourists' mind,  that's obviously a guarantee for the economic development, the political  progress, cultural flourishing, the social harmony and the environment,  but they should understand the history and the process of social  progress. Some experts suggest Tibet should reflect on how to use its  human resources and natural landscapes in the development of its tourist  activities.

　　In fact, in recent years, Tibet has gradually become "Holy Land" for tourism. Tourism as the pillar industry is the backbone of Tibet's economy. And it grows owing to the comprehensive transportation network, favorable government policies and publicity contribute, and most importantly, the dedication and support of the local Tibetan people , People’s Daily reported. According to official statistics, some 6.85 million people visited Tibet in 2010, with the tourism revenue of 7.14 billion yuan. In 2012, tourist number to Tibet hit a record high of over 11 mln yuan, generating 13.2 bln yuan (about 2.1 bln USD) tourist revenue. Based on that, Tibet is expecting 20mln annual tourists in five years, according to the information from the annual two sessions (Tibet People's Congress and Tibet People's Political Consultative Conference) held in Lhasa on Jan. 24, 2013. The growth of tourism revenue has provided opportunities for farmers and herdsmen who are involved. As Wu Yingjie,vice executive chairman of the TAR and the NPC deputy said, "Tibet is willing to sacrifice the speed of economic development to protect ecological environment" at the two sessions of the 12th National People's Congress and the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in March, 2013. Wu's resolution reflects two points: First, Tibet's economy maintains a good momentum; Second, environmental protection as a global issue, exists in China’s Tibet as well. But the local government is trying its best to seek the best way out and has made progress. During the crucial years of the 12th Five-year Plan period(2010-2015), a balanced development mode has been adopted by the local government of Tibet. Tibet’s gross domestic product has exceeded 70 billion yuan (about 11.3 billion U.S. dollars) in 2012 with an average annual growth of 12 percent.

　　Tibet's economic development, political progress, cultural prosperity, social harmony, and environment protection undoubtely grew in the last few years according to official figures and analysis. Tibet's well-protected traditional culture plays an important role in maintaining the huge market potential. Many tourists came to experience the traditional Tibetan festivals such as the Year of Water Snake Losar(or the Tibetan New Year) and the Sagya Dawa Festival.

　　However, Tibet will not only concentrate on the economic development.

　　With a multifarious physiognomy and diversified natural conditions, TAR's ecological environment is vital to China and even the world's ecological balance and resource protection, said Wu Yingjie at the two sessions of the 12th National People’s Congress and the 12th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Right now, under the solicitude of the central government, a large fund has been invested in environment protection in Tibet. The Tibet's Ecological Security Barrier Protection and Construction Planning has been implemented. Therefore, it is predicted that the total investment from 2008 to 2030 in environment protection will reach 15.5 billion yuan (about $2.5 billion). With the exponentially economic development, the aspect of environmental protection gradually becomes the concern of the international community. Some media assert that Tibet's economic development has been achieved at the expense of the environment. They claim that the past few years have witnessed environmental degradation in Tibet due to unlimited exploitation and unscientific mode of development. However, it is not true. By and large, Tibet's environment has been well preserved over the past few decades. If you have followed us on the environment channel, you are liable to find out achievements made by Tibet in terms of environment protection. The population of wildlife has increased. The air and atmosphere quality has maintained a high quality and can be compared with that of the South Pole. The clean energy such as solar energy and methane power have been popularized, providing conveniences to people's lives.

　　According to another paper published by CASS entitled “Environmental protection and real achievements in Tibet” (西藏环境保护和建设的真实成就) , the group of Dalai Lama had said on many occasions that environment in Tibet had been intentionally and seriously damaged by Chinese government. The author of the article took part and was personally engaged in some environmental protection projects in Tibet over the years, and “I  witnessed the government concern and the investments in the  environmental protection activities in Tibet, as well as the measures  adopted by the local governments in the region at every level in the  environmental protection”. Back in 1951, the central government organized a "work team of state  administrative council for Tibet" and developed projects in Tibet in  order to increase scientific knowledge of the environment in Tibet,  while in 1958 an "investigation team on Tibet of the Chinese Academy of  Sciences" was established. Henceforth the resources evaluation in Tibet  and the environmental protection and construction set off down the  scientific road, laying down the foundations for environmental  protection. Since the 70's the government started to promulgate and implement laws related to soil and mineral resource supervision, water and soil  conservation, wild animal safeguard and other regional regulations,  giving birth to a standardized regulation system in the region. During  the years a "construction and environmental protection plant for the  autonomous region of Tibet". Since the '70s, the Tibet built many natural reserves over 70 different places, with a surface of 401thousand  square kilometers, 33.4% of the whole region, and 30,8% of the national  reserves in the whole country. The ecosystem was restored and gradually  developed. Thanks to natural reserves many species doomed to extinction  were safeguarded and the animal population grew rapidly. In 10 years the  number of Equus kiang grew from 56 thousands to 80 thousand species. Tibet is also the area with the vast amount of virgin forests, with 13.890.000 hectares of forests, and the government implemented some ad  hoc engineering projects saving 2.29 billion cubic meters of land. Many  results were also achieved on climate change and vegetation of the altiplane, while the construction of the railway line from Qinghai to  Tibet was used to the restoring of the vegetation and wild species;  Recently the government invested over 20 billion renminbi on the  implementation of the environmental protection.

　　According to the Government White Paper , Tibet serves as an important ecological safety barrier in China. Over the past few decades the central and regional governments have upheld scientific development, struck a balance between socio-economic development and environmental protection, and given priority to ecological conservation and environmental protection in China' s modernization drive. Vigorous efforts are being made to promote local ecological progress and build a beautiful Tibet. Being one of the areas with the best environmental quality in the world, most parts of the region have maintained their original natural states. Assumed that Ecological environment of the Tibet Plateau have been influenced by climate change, the governement strengthened legislation and planned for ecological conservation and environmental protection, guaranteed remarkable progress in ecological improvement. “Tibet is one of the cleanest areas in the world”.

　　In conclusion, due to many historical and cultural reasons, there is a gap of information and knowledge between western media and official literature. This gap must be properly addressed and the understanding of real Tibet improved. The world must understand that the establishment of the autonomous region, the peaceful liberation and democratic reform under The New China’s policy allowed Tibet to achieve economic development and progress, as it triggered a new historical stage of development.

　　（Alessandra Spalletta, journalist and editor with AGI’s webportal www.agichina24.it）