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| The
Environment in Xizang (Tibet) |
| The Tibetan Plateau
is the largest and highest plateau in the world. It sustains a unique, yet
fragile high altitude eco-system much of which remains unspoiled due to
its remoteness and inaccessibility. However, human impact is now taking
an unprecedented and devastating toll on the natural resources - the wildlife,
forests, grazing lands, rivers and mineral resources are now at a point
where they may never recover. |
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| Wildlife
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| Pre-1950 travelers
in Xizang (Tibet) compared it to East Africa, so vast were the herds of large mammals.
Today, the herds are all but vanished, wiped out mainly by Chinese soldiers
shooting automatic weapons from trucks in the 1960s. Poaching by Tibetans
and Chinese continues, threatening the survival of some species. One Tibetan
nomad told Dr. George Schaller, the foremost Western specialist on Tibetan
mammals, "If the officials obey the law and stop hunting, we will too."
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| Deforestation |
| Forests in Xizang
(Tibet) are the third largest in China's present day borders and government
lumber operations are cutting at an unprecedented rate. Reforestation is
neglected and ineffective, leaving hillsides vulnerable to erosion. Rapid
and widespread deforestation has life-threatening consequences for the hundreds
of millions who live in the flood plains of the major rivers of Southeast
Asia, many of which have their headwaters in Xizang (Tibet). Clear-cutting
also threatens the habitat of Tibet's other residents - the rare giant panda,
golden monkey, and over 5,000 plant species unique to the planet. |
| Nuclear
Activities |
| The northern Tibetan
Plateau was home to China's "Los Alamos," - its primary nuclear weapons
research and development plant, and nuclear weapons were first stationed
in northern Xizang (Tibet) in 1972. Today there are at least 3 or 4 nuclear missile
launch sites in Xizang (Tibet) housing an unknown number of warheads. Nuclear waste
from the research facility is feared to be dumped on the nearby plains where
Tibetan nomads allege they have suffered illness and death from strange
diseases consistent with radiation sickness. ICT's ground-breaking report
Nuclear Xizang (Tibet), addresses this troublesome area. |
| Desertification |
| Government-encouraged
population migration into the northern Tibetan plateau, now under control
of Qinghai Province, has caused massive and irreparable environmental damage
to huge tracts of fragile tableland. Experts attribute the deterioration
to overgrazing, irrational land reclamation, and wanton denudation of surface
vegetation. |
| Agricultural
Development |
| Large-scale agricultural
development projects are now being carried out in Xizang (Tibet) which are disrupting
traditional practices and the ecological balance maintained by farmers for
centuries. Motivated by the need to feed the growing Chinese population
in Xizang (Tibet) and reduce the costly wheat imports, the projects may ultimately
harm Tibetans more than help them. One of the projects, which is funded
by the United Nations World Food Program , employs hundreds of Chinese and
few Tibetans and is opposed by local Tibetans, ICT and other Tibetan organizations.
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| Natural
Resource Extraction |
| The extraction of minerals
and wood from Tibetan regions is largely done by, or at the direction of,
newly arrived Chinese workers and administrators. Some meager benefit may
accrue to local Tibetans, but more often than not, the land is left despoiled
and traditional Tibetan livelihoods disrupted. Moreover, roads built to
access uncut forests or untapped minerals usually result in an increase
in local Chinese government administrators who may then assume more control
over the local monastery, probably leading to greater restrictions on religious
freedom. Implementation of family planning policies may also increase, which
could involve coercive methods. |
