Dharamshala: The 3rd Tibet Environment Conference organised by the Environment & Development Desk of the Tibet Policy Institute concluded on Sunday with a virtual panel discussion on the Role of Human Rights in Environmental Conservation.
The Tibet Environment Conference series is organised by the Environment & Development Desk of the Tibet Policy Institute to highlight the global ecological importance of the Tibetan Plateau and the current environmental situation in Tibet as well as the impact of climate change in Tibet and its relationship with global climate change.
The 1st Tibet Environment Conference in 2015 and the 2nd Tibet Environment Conference in 2019 has successfully brought together a diverse group of experts to both highlight and understand Tibet’s ecological importance, particularly the importance of Tibet’s rivers.
The 3rd edition of the Tibet Environment Conference focussed on three main areas: global importance of the Tibetan Plateau and possible impacts of Climate Change in Tibet; Trans-boundary Rivers and the state of Rivers originating from the Tibetan Plateau and thirdly, the role of human rights in environmental conservation.
Director Tenzin Lekshay of Tibet Policy Institute delivered a warm welcome note and introduced each speaker and the honorary guest speaker Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, the 37th throne holder of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage and also the UN Global Mountain Partnership Ambassador.
Speaking on the imminent dangers of rapidly melting glaciers in light of global warming, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche stressed water conservation using sustainable methods as advised by leading scholars. He cited the example of the recent flooding in Uttarkhand and called for the preparation of freshwater supply amidst research predicting the loss of glaciers by the end of the 21st century.
He also cited the success of innovative methods of conservationism in Ladakh such as building ice stupa in the winter which becomes a great source of irrigation in the summer promoting vegetation.
Gabriel Laffite, Author and Tibet Environment Specialist, Australia, called the protection of biodiversity a great idea at its face value. In that regard, he issued a series of objections against the National Nature Parks proposal, saying that incorporating them into national parks takes away the autonomy of the Tibetan territory and “integrates into its nation-building agendas”. “It no longer gives privileges to any ethnicity”.
He also found China’s selection of the regions to convert into parks as dubious, pointing that while Tibet is without doubt biodiverse, the regions where the proposed parks are located are mountainous, in comparison to the south, in Kham where the climate is warm and wet with a full spectrum of species.
Furthermore, he called out the exploitation of water resources and industrial pollution among others which are in contradiction to the authorities preservation claims. Similarly, he criticised the erasure of Tibetan nomadic practices which have for decades sustained the grasslands.
Dr Rajan Kotru, lead strategist, Redefined Sustainable Thinking, India, spoke on the ecosystem services emerging from Kailash Sacred Landscape (India-China-Nepal), briefed about its context, bringing countries together and how Kailash figures in the framework of a transboundary corporation.
“There will be border conflicts around the Tibetan plateau because China, currently ruling the Tibetan autonomous region shares border with several countries, especially in the southern part and the conflicts are going on. Therefore, China is not going to let loose its noose in the Tibetan plateau. But there are opportunities and options.”
He added, “The opportunities that we look for must be interconnected and they are inevitable because if you want to address the global problems, you have to cooperate between the stakeholders, actors and sectors.”
Yves Lador, Consultant, Representative of Earth Justice to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland opined, “There is really a need for a human rights approach, the very first thing is to protect and strengthen scientific freedom. This is an issue today, unfortunately. There have been a lot of exchanges with China over the past decades. Information is not flowing how it used to be some years ago. It is clearly some kind of brutalization of the regime which is underway right now, which makes it more difficult and not for the scientist to share their information but also what they say we are never sure now its the full image and the full quantity of the information and data they have.”
The three-day conference concluded with a vote of thanks by Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, Head of Environment & Development Desk, Tibet Policy Institute, CTA.
Dr Tenzin Desal, Senior Fellow, Tibet Policy Institute, moderated the panel discussion.