Ecological and Environmental Issues Faced by a Developing Tibet /ENG

2012. február 27./ITN/TibetPress

In a recent scientific paper entitled "Ecological and Environmental Issues Faced by a Developing Tibet" by some Chinese and one German-American scientist (Environmental Science & Technology, 46 (2012) 1979-1980, doi 10.1021/es2047188 |), the authors conclude:

"Overall, we cannot afford to overlook the series of ecological and environmental problems faced by an economically developing Tibet. To resolve these issues, a comprehensive set of measures including controlling rural population growth, encouraging herdsmen to relocate to urban areas, and improving their education level are recommended."

The reason for the problem seems to be that "local herders, bound by traditional values, prefer to invest their compensation distributed by the government in the “rangeland to grassland” program in more livestock rather than changing to other careers, and the goal of downsizing livestock is not achieved."

The graph included in the short paper shows the increase in the numbers of pigs, yaks, sheep and tourists since 1950. The tourists increased the fastest, from ca 0 in 1990 to > 6.8 million in 2010. The rate of population increase was even steeper (3 million people living in "Xizang" in 2010).