By Zamlha Tempa Gyaltsen*
Too Many Lies in addition to Factual Errors
The newspaper would possess got been a wonderful reading for person who knows real footling nigh Tibet, but for a regular observer, at that spot are likewise many lies in addition to factual errors. The newspaper states that ‘the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is i of the regions alongside strictest H2O resources management in addition to H2O surroundings protection inwards China’. There were likewise many cases of factories in addition to mining companies who were non punished despite polluting local H2O bodies.
The instance of waste matter from lithium mines been flushed into the Lichu river inwards Minyak Lhagong ( Karze portion of Tibet) past times the Ronda Lithium Co Limited is i such example. The toxic waste matter caused (May 4, 2016) volume expiry of fish in addition to polluted the drinking H2O beginning of the local communities.
In a similar instance on September 23, 2014, to a greater extent than than 1,000 local Tibetans of Dokar in addition to Zibuk villages close Lhasa protested against the poisoning of their river past times the Gyama Copper Poly-metallic mine. The mine is located closed to a river that locals operate for drinking, irrigation in addition to feeding their livestock.
Another instance of lack of proper H2O management is the rampant dumping of rural in addition to urban wastes into nearby rivers. The newspaper states that RMB 6.3 billion was spent on domestic sewage in addition to waste matter disposal projects but inwards reality, the garbage collection in addition to management facilities are almost non-existent across Tibet, specially inwards rural areas.
While claiming that the Qinghai – Tibet railway was an instance of greenish development, the newspaper quotes from Science Magazine (April 27, 2007) proverb (the railway will) “ultimately promote the sustainable ecological, social, in addition to economical evolution of western China”. But according to the actual article inwards the Science Magazine titled ‘Building a Green Railway inwards China’, the judgement begins past times stating that ” If carefully managed (emphasis added), the Qinghai -Tibet railway volition ultimately promote the sustainable ecological, social in addition to economical evolution of the western China’. To back upwards its argument, the newspaper disregards intellectual integrity past times selectively misquoting incomplete sentences from Science Magazine to alter the actual context.
Contradictions betwixt Policies in addition to Implementations
There are far likewise many contradictions betwixt policies for environmental protection in addition to actual footing implementation. The newspaper claims that ‘the relevant provinces in addition to autonomous regions possess got taken active mensurate to growth world awareness of eco-conservation, such every bit strengthening world campaigns on environmental protection’.
But an official circular issued past times the Tibet Public Security Department of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region on Feb 7, 2018 has made environmental protection activities inwards Tibet an illegal act, thereby contradicting the claims made above.
The disregard to the pleas of Tibetans inwards Amchok against mining is withal some other contradiction. On May 31, 2016, closed to 2,000 local Tibetans of Amchok inwards north-eastern Tibet gathered to protestation agaist mining on their sacred mount Gong-nyong Lari. But the Chinese authorities brutally suppressed the protesters past times seriously injuring many in addition to detaining vi local Tibetans. They were calling for “protection of environment, protection of the sacred mount in addition to protection of people’s safety”.
Some Important Issues are Ignored
The newspaper makes no elevate of natural disasters despite Tibetan areas facing devastating floods, landslides in addition to mudslides inwards recent years.
The mountainous Tibetan Plateau faces the severest demeanor upon of climate alter due to its high elevation at depression latitude. The province of affairs is farther exacerbated past times unregulated constructions in addition to mining activities inwards the region. The plateau has seen unprecedented number of natural disaster across Tibet since 2016. There are numerous floods in addition to landslides occurring inwards North-eastern in addition to Central regions of Tibet every bit nosotros write. Unfortunately, the newspaper does non elevate these natural disasters or efforts taken past times the Chinese authorities to mitigate the impact.
This is acre due to lack of existent agreement of the electrical flow socio-environmental province of affairs inwards Tibet past times the Chinese government. The Chinese authorities has done real footling to address climate alter in addition to set forth whatever preventive measures to mitigate the demeanor upon of increasing incidents natural disasters. As is oft the case, it has been the Tibetan monasteries who possess got rushed to the scene of natural disasters to assistance the public.
While claiming massive progress inwards the creation of nature reserves, the plight of millions of resettled nomads are conveniently brushed aside. The lack of jobs in addition to educational opportunities inwards the resettled areas possess got pushed the nomadic population into the margins of the social club where they are compelled into alcoholism, prostitution in addition to children engaging inwards petty crimes. H5N1 whole generation of Tibetans are impoverished in addition to forced into destitution.
The newspaper also gives real footling data nigh Ngawa in addition to Karze regions of eastern Tibet. These regions possess got seen increasing natural disasters, numerous protests against mining in addition to oft seem repressive policies.
Conclusion
Environmental conservation efforts inwards Tibetan areas are arrogantly forced upon them past times the state without informing or taking local communities into confidence. Such colonial approaches possess got oft led to confrontation betwixt the people in addition to the government. It’s the Tibetans who possess got preserved the delicate plateau for thousands of years in addition to acquired enormous indigenous noesis of the the world in addition to its climatic patterns.
The lack of mitigation efforts to seem the novel environmental province of affairs in addition to climatic weather is a major failure. Tibetans should non survive left to seem natural disaster inwards the coming years every bit it has been inwards the concluding iii years.
The formulation of stricter regulations on protection of nature reserves is a welcome effort, a similar policy is also urgently required to strictly regulate the influx of millions of tourists into the plateau every bit it could exit massive carbon footprint on the delicate ecosystem of Tibet.
The millions of resettled nomads should survive provided alongside jobs, didactics in addition to medical facilities to restore their dignity in addition to livelihood.
Ever since Xi Jinping became the president, at that spot has been positive efforts on environmental protection across Cathay in addition to inwards Tibet. But the lack of environmental knowledge, honor for surroundings in addition to sincere wish for environmental protection amid Chinese officials possess got led to diverse contradictions in addition to confrontations. As a result, environmental conservation projects past times diverse local Chinese governments inwards Tibet oft terminate upwards farther damaging the local surroundings in addition to destroying people’s livelihood.
*Zamlha Tempa Gyaltsen is the caput of the Environmental in addition to the Development Desk of the Tibet Policy Institute. Views expressed hither practice non necessarily reverberate those of the Tibet Policy Institute.
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