A Presentation on Opportunities and Challenges for the Development of Tibet-Ecological and Environmental Protection

　　Ambassador Simon Nabukwesi (Kenya)

　　INTRODUCTION

　　Tibet is located on the main body of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is the hub of unique geographical features, high altitude, rich wildlife, water and vast mineral resources. The region has been labeled the "Roof of the World" and the "Third Pole of the Earth." In addition, it is not only the "source of rivers" and the "ecological source" for the areas in South and Southeast Asia, but also the "starter" and "regulating area" of the climate of a vast region in Asia and undeniably of the Eastern Hemisphere as a whole.

　　Situated at the heart of Asia with an average elevation of more than 4,500 meters above the mean sea level, Tibet stretches for almost 2,500 kilometers from west to east and 1,500 kilometers from south to north. It is one of the most environmentally strategic areas of the continent. With a total land area of 2.5 million square kilometers, Tibet is a vast region in the western part of China with a collection of ethnic minority groups of people who make it culturally diverse and unique. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the highest and largest plateau on the earth. In total the whole plateau is crisscrossed with fourteen great mountain ranges.

　　The plateau holds the Hindu Kush Himalayan Ice Sheet, considered as the largest ice mass outside the two poles. Its plateau contains more than 46,000 glaciers covering an area of 105,000 km2. The glacier-fed rivers originating from the Tibetan Plateau make up the largest river run-off from any single location in the world. As a result, approximately 1.3 billion people living in more than 9.6 million square kilometers of drainage basin are dependent on the health of the major rivers that originate in Tibet Plateau. However, critical components to Tibet’s ecosystem are undergoing major transformations due to climate change, including receding glaciers, shrinking and disappearance of thousands of lakes, drying of wetlands, thawing of permafrost and reduced flow regimes in many rivers.

　　The climate gradually fluctuates from warm and moist to cold and dry from its southeast toward its northwest. Ecologically, the changes are manifested in belts from forest, bush, meadow and steppe to desert. The complex and diverse terrains and land-forms as well as the unique type of ecological system have created a natural paradise for biodiversity

　　Environment Overview

　　Formal protection of wildlife and environment through parks and reserves were still necessary, although Tibetan Buddhism taught the people about the interdependence of all living and non-living elements of the nature. Buddhism prohibits the killing of animals and advocates loving compassion for sentient beings and the environment.

　　Plants: The Plateau is home to over 5,000 higher plant species and over 12,000 species of vascular plants, many of which are rare and endemic.

　　Birds: In Tibet, there are over 532 diverse species of birds in 57 families. Various bird species include storks, wild swans, Blyth’s kingfisher, geese, ducks, shorebirds, raptors, brown-chested jungle flycatchers, redstarts, finches, grey-sided thrushes, Przewalski’s parrot bills, wagtails, chickadees, large-billed bush warblers, bearded vultures, woodpeckers and nuthatches. It is important to note that several of these birds are threatened with extinction.

　　Animals: The mountains and forests are home to a vast range of animal life found only in Tibet. This region hosts many rare and endangered animals such as the snow leopard, Tibetan takin, Himalayan black bear, wild yak (Drong), blue sheep, musk deer, golden monkey, wild ass (Kyang), Tibetan gazelle, Himalayan mouse hare, Tibetan antelope, giant panda and red panda which are hunted for their fur and sold for large sums of money in the international market.

　　Forests: The forests once covered 25.2 million hectares. Majority of forests grew on steep, isolated slopes in the river valleys of Tibet’s low lying south-eastern region. The principal types are tropical montane and subtropical montane coniferous forest, with evergreen spruce, fir, pine larch, cypress, birch and oak among the main species. Tibet’s forests are primarily old growth, with trees over 200 years old.

　　Minerals: Tibet also had rich and untouched mineral resources. Tibet has deposits of different minerals accounting for a significant share of the entire world’s reserves of gold, chromite, copper, borax and iron.

　　Waters: China’s Tibet is the source of many of the Asia’s principal rivers, which consist of the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo), Indus (Senge Khabab), Sutlej (Langchen Khabab), Karnali (Macha Khabab), Arun (Phongchu), Salween (Gyalmo Ngulchu), Mekong (Zachu), Yangtse (Drichu), Hwang Ho or Yellow River (Machu) and Irrawaddy. These rivers stream into many countries such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. More than 15,000 natural lakes are found in Tibet and, some of the prominent lakes are Mansarovar (Mapham Yumtso), Namtso, Yamdrok Yumtso and the largest, Kokonor Lake (Tso Ngonpo).

　　Grassland: Tibet is one of Chinas five major pastoral areas. There are 82.07 million hectares of natural grassland accounting for approximately 21 percent of the area of natural grassland. This grassland accounts for 68.11 percent of total land area. To protect the grassland ecology, is to keep the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ecological chain complete and orderly.

　　Significance of Saving Tibet’s Environment

　　Glaciers and Rivers as source of water - Glacial runoff supplies the largest rivers in Asia, including Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), Drichu (Yangtze), Machu (Yellow), Zachu (Mekong), Macha Khabab (Ganges) and Sengye Khabab (Indus River) among others. The Tibetan Plateau is the head region to major rivers that flow into India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

　　Ecological degradation - In the wake of global warming, remarkable changes have occurred in the ecosystem of the  Tibet Plateau. The vegetation has witnessed early greening, late withering and an average increase of ten days in the growing season. The vegetation coverage has been slightly raised overall, and the net primary productivity (NPP) has grown by around 11 percent. The NPP's remarkable growth has led to an increasing carbon sink in the alpine ecosystem. From 1980 to 2002 the alpine ecosystem created an average annual net carbon sink of 23 million tons, accounting for 13 percent of the total increased carbon sinks of all the earth's vegetation in China, of which 17.6 million tons was produced by alpine grassland ecosystems every year.

　　Permafrost layers as carbon store - The presence or absence of the permafrost layer entails major variations in the soil’s physical structure determining, to a large extent, the hydrological and nutritional status of the soil, which in turn, is pivotal in determining the vegetative coverage, plant community structure, and productivity.

　　Alpine Grasslands and Meadows as carbon sink – China’s Tibet rangeland extends from the Northern Plateau of upper Tibet to the extreme eastern edge of the plateau. The types of rangeland differ from alpine meadows and mountain scrub to mountain sparse wood and mountain desert, which assist to sustain domestic herds and nurture diverse wildlife species.

　　Wetlands and Wetland areas as carbon sequesters -Tibetan Highland holds over 51 percent (51% ) of  the total natural wetlands. These wetlands are dominated by salt marsh, peat land and freshwater marsh which tend to trap carbon-rich sediments from watershed sources. Albeit this, the Wetlands play an integral role in regulating the flow of rivers and also are the major carbon stores.

　　Impact on the Asian Summer Monsoon - The plateau’s seasonal heating during summer and spring plays a principal role in determining the large-scale air circulation in summer. Heating over the Tibetan Plateau generates a surface cyclonic circulation and upper-atmosphere anti-cyclonic circulation which results in the appearance of a large air motion in the eastern side of the plateau.

　　Deforestation - Parts of southern and eastern Tibet possess some of the best quality forest reserves in the world. Massive deforestation, mining and intensified agricultural patterns in the region contribute to increased soil erosion.

　　Agricultural Mismanagement - High altitude, overgrazing and intensive agricultural production has resulted in the loss of many medicinal herbs and food plants. This destroyed much of the winter food supply.

　　Increased utilization of fertilizers is extremely harmful to the crops and depletes the environment off its useful nutrients.

　　Resource Extraction – Dating back to the late 60’s, resources have been exploited in various scales and mostly under very poor environmental norms and regulations. The mining not only undermines the sanctity of the local landscapes furthermore, it creates social tension and distrust when standard corporate policies are not adhered.

　　Such rich reserves of minerals resources attracts miners of various capacities who strive to make quick money with total disregard to the standard environmental norms and laws as stipulated.

　　Removal of Drogpas from their ancestral grasslands - For several generations, pastoralism on these rangelands has been the best and the only alternative to successful living. Over time, pastoral nomads referred to as drogpas have skillfully introduced domestic herds and maintained an extraordinary biodiversity of grasses and sedges, enabling human life to flourish at the Third Pole. In reality, these ‘drogpas’ were the first stewards of these vast grasslands and have successfully maintained a sustainable and mobile lifestyle for many centuries.

　　Damming Trans-boundary Rivers - Rivers originating from China’s Tibet region flow to more than ten countries and play a vital role in the environmental services and socio-economy of each country. These rivers enable the Tibetan Plateau to become a strategic platform in exercising its influence over the lower riparian states.

　　Dams impact the aquatic ecosystem including water flows, water quality, fish habitats, wetlands, and livelihood of people relying on it. Moreover, they also cause heavy loss of water through evaporation, and are a globally significant source of greenhouse gases such as methane.

　　Growing industrialization, population growth, and increasing levels of consumption place heavy demands on water resources, which provide vital support for the subsistence livelihood to millions of people. Currently, there exists no regional framework or forum for South and East. 

　　ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN TIBET

　　The Chinese government attaches great importance to ecological construction and environmental protection in Tibet in order to strengthen ecological construction and environmental protection therefore promoting the people’s quality of life. Tibet’s ecological enhancement and environmental protection is an integral component of economic development, social progress and elevating people’s living standards while forging ahead and making tremendous achievements.

　　In strengthening the ecological and protection in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is necessary to uphold the principle of protection first, prevention-dominated, overall planning, focused breakthrough, divisional management, coordinated boosting, innovative mechanism and science-depending, persist in the combination of natural recovery while comprehensively boosting the eco-environmental protection in key regions.

　　1. The Government to improve the ecological construction and environmental protection of Tibet as a whole, and endeavor to build a Tibetan ecological security barrier and come up with a Plan of Protection and Construction of Ecological Security Barrier of Tibet. This can be facilitated by the protection of natural ecological systems, which are chiefly the protection of natural grasslands, prevention of forest fires and harmful pests, protection of wild animals and plants, the construction of conservation areas, protection of important wetlands and the substitution for the traditional energy in farming and pasturing areas. 

　　2. The implementation of natural forests and grassland protection and shelter belt system construction for the improvement of human settlement environments. A project of ecological forest construction in key zones for public interest all over the region will preserve forestation.

　　3. The vigorous popularization and utilization of clean energy based on the effective control of greenhouse gas emission. The greenhouse gas emission emanates from the greenhouse gas emitted in the course of agricultural production and biological material burning, which is subsistence emission. Popularization and utilization of clean energy can be facilitated by optimizing energy mix and developing clean energy. China can implement this by rationally controlling its total energy consumption, formulating energy development plans, and defining the total consumption control target and the mechanism to share out the tasks and responsibilities. This will accelerate the development of clean coal technology, propel the production and use of clean coal, promote the rapid growth of natural gas output, speed up the development and utilization of such unconventional oil-gas resources as coal-bed gas and shale gas, safely and efficiently develop nuclear energy, and accelerate the development of renewable water, wind, solar, geothermal and biomass energy in accordance with local conditions.

　　4. The government should gradually establish a carbon emissions trading market. It will further reform the price formation mechanism of carbon emissions trading by standardizing voluntary trading in emission reduction and discharge rights, gradually establish trans-provincial and trans-regional emissions trading systems, in order to give full play to the fundamental role of the market mechanism in optimizing the allocation of resources, and realize the objective of controlling greenhouse gas emission at minimum cost.

　　5. The comprehensive management of the ecological environment in cities to be given emphasis in ecological improvement and environmental protection project in Tibet. To guarantee the quality of the atmospheric environment, Tibet should actively popularize the use of non-polluting energy sources in cities and towns, while systematically phasing out fuels such as faggot, ox dung, coal and oil currently being commonly used by local residents. Encouraging people to adopt natural gas as fuel for daily use should be prioritized. Use of clean energy sources like water, geothermal, solar and wind energies to help in protection of the ecological environment should be strengthened.

　　6. This will significantly improve the environmental quality for most parts of the country and prevent deterioration of the ecological balance, restore ecological functions and biodiversity in key regions and curb pollution of farmlands. These zones provide effective protection for all wild animals, wild plants, and important ecological systems in Tibet and China as a whole

　　7. A healthy and sustainable Tibetan Plateau will not only benefit the entire Asian continent but also facilitate in promoting peace and harmony within the region, especially between two major emerging powers (India and China). This is an important geostrategic factor.

　　8. Tibetan nomads are the expert custodians of the alpine pastures and their knowledge and experience should be incorporated into rangeland management practices. The Tibetan herders should be directly involved in the decision making process or there should be at least a principle of collaborative management attending to the needs of the pastoral nomads and herders alike. Projects designed without the highest needs of the community in mind fail to take into consideration what its members view as top priorities. For the projects to thrive, it is imperative to involve the Tibetan nomads.

　　9. Industrial projects to be selected carefully, and pollution prevention and control are strengthened, in order to reduce the bad effects caused to the ecological environment by industrial development, the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region to adhere to the principle of placing equal emphasis on both industrial development and environmental protection. As industries are developed in the region, Tibet should be able to make every effort to ensure that while they bring about economic profits they have social and environmental benefits as well. No industrial project should be launched just because of its envisaged economic benefit or just because it will fill a gap in the field. To effectively combat pollution, leaders should adopt a series of pollution-prevention measures to ensure that the development of modern industry does not damage the ecology of the region.

　　10.  Establishment of an Environment Desk in addition to monitoring and reporting environmental situation inside Tibet should be used to be active in environmental education projects in Tibetan communities. Monitoring and researching on environment and development issues inside Tibet should provide geostrategic approach mechanism and guidance on selective advocacy for promoting sustainable development in Tibet, China and the region.

　　11.  Environmental protection and ecological improvement are synchronized with agricultural production and development. In Tibet, the natural conditions for agriculture are poor, infrastructure is weak, grain production is low and the capability to withstand natural disasters is low. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen agricultural infrastructure , transform low- and medium-yield fields and improve the level of the agricultural ecosystem for agricultural production and development.

　　12.  Desertification and soil erosion should be effectively checked, and the comprehensive index of the eco-environment quality to be raised by one to three grades. Comprehensive control of soil erosion and agricultural development should generate significant economic benefits for the region and China as a whole. Introducing afforestation and construction of water conservancy projects aimed at monitoring the progress of development cannot be overstated.

　　13. The Government should give more assistance to farmers by transforming their traditional cultivation habits of non-cultivating after harvest, which is a centuries-old practice referred to as "white fallow". This practice is detrimental to water and soil conservation. Rotation of grain and grass to be adopted to increase the fertility of the soil and its ability to conserve water. While attention is paid to farmland water conservancy construction, a forest shelter network should be built to protect farms from erosion caused by sandstorms. As a result of persistent efforts, the rate of land usage in the major agricultural of central Tibet will increase greatly, and the level of soil erosion will decline.

　　While the economy is developing rapidly and the people’s living standards are constantly rising, the ecological environment should receive extra attention  for the purpose of enhancing protection.

　　(Simon Nabukwesi, Director, Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kenya)