Why Tibet Matters Now

Why T I B E T

Matters Now

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F rom a global environmental perspective, few other places in the world are as important as Tibet is now. Rising concerns about global warming, climate change, receding glaciers,

desertification, food insecurity and loss of biodiversity all point to the significance of Tibet in addressing these global challenges. Tackling these important global is-sues require greatly increased scientific research in Ti-betan areas and improved understanding of current land use practices, especially of agriculture, forestry and livestock grazing. Critical examination of existing envi-ronmental conservation and economic development policies and programs is required. New thinking on how we view the Tibetan landscape is also needed. Today, the five-lettered word, "Tibet" is a highly emo-tive and politically charged term. Believed by many people to refer to a culturally distinct area of the earth

inhabited by Tibetan-speaking people, the word Tibet often denotes a nation-state, whose boundaries are un-clear and not officially recognized as a sovereign coun-try by the United Nations. To the vast majority of Chi-nese, the word "Tibet" refers only to the Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, one of China's 22 provinces and five autono-mous regions. In this article, I disregard divisive political connotations and use the term "Tibetan Plateau" to refer to a unique geographical area of Asia; a landscape not marked by lines drawn on a map, but defined by topography. Tackling global environmental challenges in the 21st Century demands that we start to view the Tibetan Pla-teau more holistically and try to develop a better un-derstanding of its unique ecology and the value of its natural resources.

Why Tibet Matters Now

Daniel J. Miller

text and photos

(Left) The Potala Palace in Lhasa, the residence of the Dalai Lamas since 1649.

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Encompassing an area of over 2.5 million square kilo-meters, the Tibetan Plateau is the largest and highest elevation region on the earth. With an average eleva-tion of 4,500 meters above sea level, the Tibetan Pla-teau stretches for almost 3,000 km from west to east and 1,500 km from south to north. The Plateau is ringed by high mountains – the Himalaya to the south, the Karakorum in the west and the Kunlun across the north. The varied topography, altitudes, and climate give rise to great diversity in vegetation. In the eastern and southeastern valleys of the plateau forests are found, but most of the plateau is domi-nated by rangeland. Rangelands vary from alpine meadows in the east to high, cold deserts in the north-west. Less than one percent of the plateau supports cultivated agriculture, mostly along the bottom of river valleys. The grazing lands of the Tibetan Plateau are one of the world’s great pastoral areas, supporting over 30 million sheep and goats and 12 million yaks. Both the forested areas and the rangelands provide habitat for wildlife, many of which are endangered. To really grasp the significance of the Tibetan Pla-teau, in terms of its central location in Asia as a source of so many rivers, its extensive land area and extreme

topography, a new perspective of the Tibetan land-scape is required. In my office I have a plastic, raised-relief map of China in which the Tibetan Pla-teau and adjoining mountain ranges stand out clearly. This map visibly depicts the vast area encompassed by the plateau and the abrupt uplift of the Himalaya ris-ing from the plains of northern India. Looking at this map you can easily see why the Tibetan Plateau is termed the “Roof of the World” and how it domi-nates the geography of Asia. Photographs taken by astronauts of the Tibetan Pla-teau also provide an out-of-the-ordinary observation. Taken at heights of 200 to 400 km above the earth, these images provide a fascinating point of view; an outlook that captures not only the magnificent splen-dor of the Himalaya and other mountain ranges and immense expanse of the Tibetan Plateau, but also en-able you to really envisage the lay of the land from a landscape perspective. Unhindered by the clutter of political boundaries one begins to define the land by watersheds, the natural demarcations of the environ-ment. These astronaut photographs are a valuable resource for anyone interested in the geography and ecology of the Tibetan Plateau and Himalaya.

Astronaut photograph of the Himalaya and Western Tibetan Plateau NASA

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The Tibetan Plateau plays a very important role in global climate change. With thousands of glaciers scattered across the Plateau and the Himalaya the region has the most snow and ice outside of the polar regions. With global warming the total area of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau is expected to shrink by 80 percent by the year 2030. The loss of glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau and Himalaya will dramatically affect major rivers that pro-vide water for more than one-third of the world’s popu-lation. Global warming may have profound ecological and economic impacts over a wide area in Asia. The effect of glaciers receding will be felt not just in Tibetan areas, but well beyond the borders of the Tibetan Pla-teau. The Tibetan Plateau forms the headwaters environment where many important rivers have their beginnings. Here, the Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Brah-maputra, Ganges, Sutlej and Indus Rivers originate and the water they provide is critical to the survival of mil-lions of people downstream. As such, simply for the water that it provides, the Tibetan Plateau demands greater attention. The recent floods in the Indian states of Bihar and Assam draw attention to the critical role of

the Tibetan environment in regulating water flow to downstream areas. How many people realize that the Kosi River that recently flooded and displaced millions of people in the northern Indian state of Bihar actually has its origins on the north side of Mt. Everest? Or that almost 60 percent of the total length of the 2,906 km-long Brahmaputra River that floods India and Bangla-desh every year is located in Tibet?

Astronaut photo of Mt. Everest. North is to the bottom of the image. NASA

Glaciers of the Kunlun Mountains in the northern Tibetan Plateau.

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Views from space provide a new look at the Tibetan Plateau. They enable one to see the landscape in its entirety. Environmental conservation strategies for the Tibetan Plateau need to encompass a broad scale and implement programs at the level at which natural sys-tems operate. This landscape level of attention ensures persistence of populations and ecological processes and has to work across political boundaries. Artificial, man-made politically drawn lines on a map do not stop a river from flowing downhill nor do they prevent black-necked cranes from migrating or Tibetan argali and wild ass from crossing international borders in search of forage to graze on.

The American poet, Gary Snyder, got it right when he wrote, “Now, with insights from the ecological sci-ences, we know that we must think on a scale of a whole watershed, a natural system. A habitat. To save the life of a single parrot or monkey is truly admirable. But unless the forest is saved, they will all die.” Saving the Tibetan Plateau requires a new way of thinking; an approach that recognizes watersheds instead of politi-cal frontiers to define plans of action for conservation and development. It also requires acceptance of the complex nature of the landscape, not only in the ways that physical forces shape it, but also in ways that socio-economic, and institutional forces interact and impact the nomads and farmers who use the range-lands.

Grasses such as purple feathergrass (Stipa purpurea) on the right, and Ti-betan bluegrass (Poa poipophagrum) on the left are dominant plants across much of the Tibetan Plateau. They provide valuable grazing for wildlife and live-stock.

Rangelands in the Wild Yak Valley in the Kunlun Mountains on the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.

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The rangelands of the Tibetan Plateau are some of the world’s greatest grazing land ecosystems. Most of the rangeland is above 4,000 meters; some nomads main-tain camps at elevations as high as 5,000 meters. Snowstorms are common even in the summer. Across most of the region, it is too cold and arid to support cultivated agriculture. Growing seasons are short and cold. As such, the Tibetan pastoral area is one of the world’s most extreme environments. Unlike the vast steppes of Eurasia, rugged mountain ranges, deep river valleys and large lake basins dissect the Tibetan Plateau; this results in a great diversity of topography, climate and vegetation, even in a small geographic area. The rangelands are diverse in struc-ture and composition, varying from the northwest cold deserts to semi-arid steppes and from shrublands to lush alpine meadows of mountain slopes and valleys. They therefore display an assortment of plant commu-nities and wildlife species. Like the rangelands of North America, the grazing lands of the Tibetan Plateau evolved with grazing ani-mals. Over thousands of years, wildlife such as Ti-

betan antelope, wild yak, Tibetan wild ass, Tibetan ga-zelle, blue sheep, argali and different species of deer grazed the rangeland. Small mammals like pikas, voles and marmots exerted an influence on the vegetation and helped created a unique interaction between plants and animals. Predators that preyed on these animals such as bears, wolves, snow leopards, foxes and eagles were an important part of the ecology of the landscape. Each rangeland type has its own unique assemblage of plants. Vegetation variations define the movements and foraging behavior of both wildlife and livestock. Although often limited in species richness and produc-tivity, the plants are high in protein content, providing nutritious forage for animals. The topography of the landscape, location of water and even wind patterns also dictate habitats for wildlife and favored grazing for nomads’ herds. Despite their extent and importance, rangeland ecosys-tem dynamics are still poorly understood. Many ques-tions concerning how the ecosystem functions and the effect of grazing animals on the ecosystem remain un-answered for the most part.

Rangelands, yaks and snow peaks near Nakchu.

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A number of biodiversity “hotspots” are located on the Tibetan Plateau. With their highly distinctive species, ecological processes, and evolutionary phenomena, these areas are some of the most important areas on earth for conserving biodiversity. The Tibetan Plateau is one of the most ecologically diverse landscapes on earth. It also includes the most intact example of mountain rangelands in Asia with a relatively intact ver-tebrate fauna, and is one of the largest remaining ter-restrial wilderness regions left in the world. The area is

home to numerous rare and endangered wildlife spe-cies such as the wild yak, Tibetan wild ass, tor kiang, he migratory Tibetan antelope, or chiru, Tibetan argali and snow leopard. Conserving these animals and their habitat is an important priority for the global conserva-tion community. George Schaller, the renown field biologist who has spent decades working to conserve the wildlife of the Tibetan Plateau and adjoining Himalayan regions, when writing of the vast rangelands of the northern Tibetan landscape noted, “The beauty of these steppes and peaks will persist, but without wildlife they will be empty and the Tibetans will have lost part of their natural and cultural heritage. To bequeath the Chang Tang far into the next millennium will require a never-ending moral vigilance, a passion to understand the ecology, and a deep commitment to a harmonious co-existence between the nomads with their livestock and the wildlife. Without such dedication there will ulti-mately be a desert where only howling winds break a deadly silence.” Schaller’s exhortation for heightened devotion to conserving the Tibetan ecosystem should be taken as a wake-up call for everyone interested in Tibet. Blue sheep are widespread on the plateau. Restricted to rugged mountain slopes, healthy blue sheep popula-tions are an indicator that snow leopards may be pre-sent as they are the primary prey for leopards. The Tibetan antelope, perhaps more than any other animal, embodies the expanse of the Chang Tang eco-system. The chiru is a migratory animal and needs a vast landscape in which to roam between winter and summer ranges. They cover distances of up to 400 kilometers, across the steppes and over mountains on their seasonal migrations. In 1994, I attempted to fol-low the chiru’s migration across the chang tang (the Ti-betan word for the extensive steppes of the northern Tibetan Plateau), to their birthing grounds on the northern edge of the plateau. Observing herds of hun-dreds of female chiru, with their female young of the previous year, traveling on ancient paths as they have for thousands of years is to bear witness to one of the earth’s outstanding ecological spectacles. Understand-ing chiru migratory movements could provide valuable insight into the structure and function of the Tibetan Plateau ecosystem and assist in efforts to protect biodi-versity.

A male Tibetan antelope, or chiru.

A herd of blue sheep.

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The continuation of Tibetan antelope migration, one of the last great natural marvels on earth, depends on better protection of the species, improved understand-ing of their ecology and better insights into the dynam-ics of the Tibetan Plateau ecosystem. It also requires innovative approaches to conservation and pastoral development that adopt participatory, integrated eco-system management models that work at the landscape level. If antelope embodies the expanse, the wild yak charac-terizes the elemental wild nature of the Chang Tang. I made a number of excursions onto the Tibetan Plateau to conduct research on wild yaks. Wild yaks character-ize the elemental nature of the Chang Tang landscape. No other animal so evokes the raw energy and wild beauty of the Chang Tang. Standing almost two me-ters high at the shoulders and weighing up to a ton and with horns a meter long, wild yaks are magnificent creatures. The wild yak is an indicator species; its pres-ence reveals a special place – a sacred space. With wild yaks roaming the landscape, an ecosystem is still intact. If the land can provide habitat for wild yaks, many of the other species of Tibetan wildlife will be there as well. Galloping across the steppes, their russet and cream-colored bodies contrasting with the golden hue of the grasslands, Tibetan wild ass, or kiang, suggest a sense of unbridled freedom. The remote, northwestern part of the Tibetan Plateau offer notable examples of range-land ecosystems relatively unchanged by humans and provide the untrammeled space for large herds of kiang to roam freely. As a rangeland ecologist, grasses and the interactions between vegetation and the animals – both wild and domestic – interest me. In my numerous journeys on the Tibetan Plateau and in the Himalaya I’ve endeav-ored to understand the ecology of the rangelands. Why are distinctive plant communities found in certain areas? What species of plants dominate these plant communities? What grasses are grazed by livestock? Do wildlife eat the same plants? These are questions I asked myself as I walked across the landscape, my eyes trying to pick out patterns on the ground. To the un-trained eye that is unable to distinguish one plant from another, Tibetan rangelands, especially in the vast

northern steppes, can appear boring and lifeless, par-ticularly when majestic mountains dominate the hori-zon. But it is the diversity in plant species and mix of plant communities on the rangelands that influences the grazing patterns of livestock and the behavior of wildlife. And it is this diversity in vegetation and the ecological functioning of the Tibetan Plateau landscape that needs to be understood in order to sustain the natural resources for future generations.

A bull wild yak in the Chang Tang.

Tibetan wild ass, or kiang.

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With their homes rolled up in bundles and lashed to the back of yaks as they move across the steppes, Tibetan nomads offer a rare perspective on life. Their world operates on a rhythm quite different from the one to which we are accustomed. Nomads’ lives are finely tuned to the growth of grass, the births of animals and the seasonal movement of their herds. Like many people living close to nature, nomads have developed a close connection to the land and the livestock that nurture them.

Yak caravan in front of the mountain, Nyenchen Thangla (above). Nomad man from the Chang Tang (lower left) and a nomad woman from Kham (lower right).

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Nomadic pastoralism, the raising of livestock by people who make periodic movements with their animals to different grazing lands, is one of the great advances in the progression of mankind. The exact beginning of Tibetan nomadic pastoralism is not known. There is evidence, however, for the raising of livestock on the Tibetan Plateau over 4,000 years ago. Tibet has always been rich with animals, butter and wool. The nomadic pastoral society, with people accustomed to taking care of animals, enabled the rise of the Tibetan Emprie in the 7th century with troops on horseback easily organ-ized for cavalry to travel swiftly and conquer far-flung territories. Tibetan nomadic pastoralism flourished because there was little encroachment into the nomadic areas by farmers trying to plow up the rangeland and plant crops as happened in southern Mongolia. In ad-dition, the livestock production practices developed by Tibetan nomads were a successful evolutionary adapta-tion to life in one of the most inhospitable places on earth.

Tibetan nomads, whom I have worked with for over 30 years, continue to fascinate me. Moving across the grazing lands with their yaks, their homes a yak-hair tent, nomads evoke freedom. While never totally free to roam aimlessly, as their movements were usually prescribed by monasteries, wealthy landlords or tribal restrictions, Tibetan nomads’ worldview cherishes in-dependence and the liberty to move in search of pas-ture for their herds, especially among the Golok tribes in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Nomads are con-stantly exposed to the elements of nature – rain, snow-storms, and drought; they take these events for granted and face them with remarkable equanimity. Values that humankind admires – courage, integrity, and gen-erosity – are principles instinctive to nomads. They also have an intimate knowledge of their environment and an amazing ability to handle animals – a skill rare among most people today. Despite these admirable traits, Tibetan nomads are facing serious threats to their way of life.

Grazing lands and nomads’ tents east of Tso Ngonbo, or Qinghai Lake in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau.

Following pages: Nomad from the Aba region in northeast Tibet on horse-back and nomad woman in front of a tent in the Chang Tang region.

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Tibetan nomads provide examples of nomadic livestock production practices that were once widespread throughout the world, but are now increasingly rare. The fact that Tibetan nomads and, in some areas, wildlife, have managed to exist on the Tibetan Plateau until re-cently, attests to the rationality and effi-cacy of many aspects of traditional Ti-betan nomadic pastoral production. Over thousands of years, Tibetan no-mads accommodated to their environ-ment, learning to live with what it of-fered instead of changing and molding the landscape to suit their needs, as farmers try to do. Thus, Tibetan nomads have much to teach us about living in harmony with the land. In the last quarter century, the nomadic pastoral areas on the Tibetan Plateau have seen far-reaching changes. These changes are radically transforming age-old livestock production methods, land-use practices and the socio-economic fabric of Tibetan society. Many range-lands that used to be managed commun-ally have been privatized, allocated to individual households and fenced. Con-flicts over grazing rights have led to “range wars” in some areas. Fences have curtailed seasonal movements of live stock, leading to overgrazing in many places. Fences have also triggered con-flicts with wildlife, especially kiang and chiru. In the northeastern Tibetan Pla-teau, in what is now known as Qinghai Province, it is estimated that about one-third of the rangelands are considered to be overgrazed. Authorities, concerned with environmental degradation, are moving nomads out of the grasslands and settling them in towns, but nomads are often ill-prepared for this new type of existence, lacking the education and skills to find gainful employment.

Nomad with horse and saddle carpet (above). For centuries, Tibetan have used knotted car-pets as saddle carpets and horse blankets on their horses and yaks. A nomad woman and children in front of their yak-hair tent near Aba in what is now northern Sichuan Province of China (below).

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I have often argued for maintaining livestock mobility in order to promote livestock production and the health of the rangelands in the pastoral areas of the Tibetan Plateau. Current policies and development plans to settle Tibetan nomads goes against state-of-the-art information and analyses for livestock pro-duction in pastoral areas. This body of scientific knowledge champions the mobility of nomads’ herds as way to sustain the grazing lands and nomads’ live-lihoods. Livestock mobility should be encouraged on the Tibetan Plateau instead of eliminated and nomads should be empowered to manage the rangelands they use. Certainly, nomads need to be more involved in any process that attempts to transform their produc-tion system. What happens when nomads are forced to settle and move into towns? Is their indigenous knowledge of the rangelands and livestock lost? Is their relationship with the environment severed? Does a home on the range have to signify the demise of Tibetan nomadic

pastoralism? These are important questions that re-quire answers in order to develop the rangelands of the Tibetan Plateau in a sustainable manner and in ways that are sensitive to Tibetans’ needs and desires.

Tibetan nomads moving across the rangelands.

Nomad woman milking a dri, or female yak.

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The reasons for rangeland deterioration on the Tibetan Plateau are not well understood. There are signs of a gradual desiccation of the plateau, evident from old beach lines around lakes. It is also apparent that alpine sedge meadows are undergoing a physical transforma-tion, probably because of reduced precipitation over the last couple of thousands of years. Less moisture possibly means that the sedge meadow plant communi-ties can not sustain themselves any longer and plants are dying, leading to ‘degraded’ patches of bare soil, or ‘black beach’ as it is termed. Livestock grazing and the nomads’ traditional practices are often blamed for this

degradation. While certain areas of the plateau have been subjected to overgrazing by livestock in the past and livestock numbers do exceed the carrying capacity of the rangelands in some areas now, nomads are, un-fortunately, often blamed for much of the environ-mental deterioration seen today. Maintaining range-land health is critical, not only to provide forage for wildlife and livestock, but to maintain the watershed properties of the rangelands. Development ap-proaches are needed that integrate ecological processes of the rangelands with the economic processes of live-stock production and biodiversity conservation.

A pika (Ochotona curzoniae), a small mammal related to rabbits that is common on Tibetan rangelands and is considered a “keystone” species, providing many impor-tant ecosystem functions. Pikas provide food for bears and wolves and birds use their burrows for nesting. Widespread pika eradication programs have unintended consequences for the Tibetan environment.

Alpine sedge meadows near Nakchu exhibiting what is referred to as ‘black beach’. These eroded areas are often unfairly attributed to livestock grazing. The showy flower (inset, upper left) is Stellera chamaejasme, an unpalatable plant and an indicator of overgrazing when it is widespread on the rangelands.

Many nomads now have motorcycles (right) that makes their lives easier. Nomads playing pool (far right) in the town of Shuanghu in northern Tibet. Nomads often find it difficult to compete for jobs when they settle down and move to town.

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The Tibetan Plateau is in peril. Glaciers are shrinking. Lakes are drying up. Rangelands are overgrazed and forests are mismanaged. Biodiversity is being lost. Economic development is often pursued at the ex-pense of the environment and local peoples’ aspira-tions, affecting the long term sustainability of the land to provide natural resources for the future. Spiritual connections that Tibetans have with the landscape are also eroding. Reversing these trends needs to become a priority.

The challenge is to balance the diverse economic, cul-tural and social needs of the inhabitants of the Tibetan Plateau with the need to maintain the environment and conserve the biodiversity and cultural heritage of the landscape. This calls for strengthened participation by local people in the entire development process. It also requires that Tibetans’ indigenous knowledge of the environment is better understood and that there is ac-knowledgement of the efficacy of many traditional natural resource management practices and beliefs.

Fences on the rangelands in the Damzhung region north of Lhasa, delineating individual herders’ grazing land that has been allocated to households.

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On my explorations on the Tibetan Plateau, I would occasionally come across skulls of wild yaks. Some were old and bleached out. Others, from animals re-cently killed by poachers, still had shiny, black horns. Wherever they are found, wild yak skulls serve as a poignant, silent sentinel – a reminder of the magnifi-cent herds of wildlife that once roamed the vast Ti-betan landscape. Wild yaks once roamed throughout the Tibetan Plateau and numbered in the millions. Now, only an estimated 15,000 wild yaks are left, and these animals can only be found in the most remote areas, far from the hunters’ guns. Preserving the re-maining herds of wild yaks is fundamental to main-taining the Tibetan Plateau ecosystem. Without the wild yak, Tibet will have lost one of its characteristic species; a loss the world cannot afford and should not allow to let happen.

There will be a great and tragic emptiness on the Ti-betan steppes if the environment is allowed to dete-riorate. The irreplaceable Tibetan culture will be transformed beyond recognition and Tibetans will lose their singular identity. The wildlife – grand, mov-ing masses of migratory chiru, herds of magnificent wild yak, and graceful Tibetan gazelle bounding across the steppes – will only be found in photographs of explorers’ accounts or in the memories of older Tibet-ans told to their children. These consequences can be avoided if timely action is taken to acknowledge the special attributes of the Tibetan Plateau ecosystem. This requires serious evaluation of the natural re-sources, increased understanding of current land use practices, greater appreciation for Tibetan nomads and farmers and their worldview and a rethinking of current development approaches.

Wild yak skull in the Wild Yak Valley in the Kunlun Mountains.

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For spiritual and cultural reasons the Tibetan Plateau is also important. It is a sacred geography with many mountains considered holy. In this sacred realm, Mount Kailash is the most famous holy mountain. It is a divine area to Buddhists, Bons, Hindus and Jains. Among Tibetans, both Buddhists and followers of Bon, there are numerous holy mountains on the Ti-betan Plateau. These sacred peaks are viewed as the abode of gods or deities and are worshipped accord-ingly. Associated with many of the holy mountains are sacred lakes that have a feminine aspect in con-trast to the male nature of the mountains. For exam-ple, Lake Manasarovar is paired with Mount Kailash and Lake Namtso is linked with the mountain, Nyenchen Thanglha.

The deities ascribed to these sacred mountains and their consorts identified with the lakes are viewed as ruling over the landscape with the power to protect the local inhabitants. As such, the mountain gods are constantly placated. Prayer flags are strung from mountain passes and incense is burned to appease the gods. Tibetans make pilgrimages to circumambulate holy mountains and lakes. Many of the Tibetans’ be-lief in sacred places are derived from the aboriginal, ‘folk’ religion of Tibet that predated the arrival of Buddhism over 1,000 years ago. Nomads and farmers across the Tibetan Plateau still believe that a person’s life force is connected with a locality and the spirits and deities that dwell there and that a deterioration of this bond between humans and the spiritual realm can have negative repercussions.

Astronaut photo of the holy mountain, Nyenchen Thanglha, and the sacred lake, Namtso. NASA

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The Tibetan landscape has experienced heart-wrenching spiritual and cultural misfortune in the past fifty years. Yet, like resilient rangelands that sprout new shoots of grass in the spring in spite of being grazed by animals the year before, Tibetans’ spiritual essence is proving to be hardy and long-lasting. De-spite overwhelming efforts to do away with Tibetans’ belief in Buddhism, Tibetans’ faith remains resolute.

With its tenet of compassion and reverence for all sen-tient beings, Buddhism can be a powerful force for protecting the environment. The 14th Dalai Lama has long championed greater respect for the Tibetan envi-ronment. This ‘simple monk’ has said, “We must now help people to understand the need for environmental protection. We must teach people to understand the need for environmental protection. We must teach people that conservation directly aids our survival.”

The survival of the Tibetan Plateau environ-ment, with its globally strategic water re-sources, extensive rangelands providing live-lihoods for millions of nomads and farmers, and unique biodiversity, depends on greater respect for the earth’s living things. The Dalai Lama, with adroit clarity wrote, “The decision to save the environment must come from the human heart. The key point is a call for a genuine sense of universal respon-sibility that is based on love, compassion and clear awareness.”

Ganden Monastery, outside of Lhasa, was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution but is being rebuilt.

Nomad children in Amdo dancing at a summer festival.

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Saving the Tibetan Plateau for future generations requires new attitudes that view the landscape more holistically, with greater appreciation for its inherent beauty as well as economically valued resources, and with a better sense of its sacred nature. Throughout the Tibetan Plateau and in the Himalayas, Tibetans build stupas, or chortens as they are called in Tibetan to transform a site into a sa-cred place. A monument of stone, con-structed according to precise design, a stupa’s original purpose was as a reli-quary, enshrining the bones of important spiritual teachers. With shapes repre-senting the five primary elements - earth, fire, water, air and space - stupas have come to symbolize the omnipresence of enlightenment or Buddha-mind. In many areas, eight stupas are constructed in a row, with the design of each one slightly different, commemorating the eight major events in Buddha’s life. As such, stupas, wherever they are found, bring peace to the surrounding area and good health and long-life to local inhabi-tants; they transmit a sense of the sacred to the entire landscape. After months working in the Chang Tang, often spending weeks way beyond the last inhabited nomad areas, one of my favorite experiences as I drove from Nakchu to Lhasa was to come upon the eight stupas, known as Chorten Rang Go, on the pass between the Salween and Brahmaputra Rivers near the town of Damzhung. We would stop the car and circumambulate the stupas, shouting “Lha Gyal Lo” - May the Gods be Victo-rious - giving thanks for our successful journey and asking for blessings as we continued on to Lhasa. With prayer flags fluttering in the wind in front of a panorama of the holy mountain, Nyenchen Thangla, one sensed the spiri-tual connection that Tibetans have to the landscape.

The giant appliqué thangka, or gos sku, with the image of Buddha in the earth witness ges-ture, at Tsurphu Monastery, the seat of H.H. the Karmapa north of Lhasa (above) and a row of eight stupas near Dawu in Kham (below).

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The Mandarin Chinese word for Tibet, xizang, means “western treasure house,” alluding to its vast natural, cultural and spiritual wealth . Official Chinese gov-ernment statements often maintain that what takes place in Tibet is the "internal affairs" of the People's Republic of China. But, given its environmental sig-nificance, Tibet and the much greater geographical area encompassed by the Tibetan Plateau, is of global concern. The Tibetan Plateau now needs to be viewed as the “world’s treasure house.” Twelve-hundred years ago, with remarkable pre-science, Tibetans viewed their homeland as the "heart of the world." A 9th Century Tibetan document found in the caves of the Buddhist center at Dun-huang, along the old Silk Road just north of the Ti-betan Plateau, attests to the environmental signifi-cance Tibetans attributed to their homeland over one thousand years ago:

This center of heaven, This core of the earth,

This heart of the world, Fenced round by snow,

The headland of all rivers, Where the mountains are high and

The land is pure.

The world now needs to ensure that the treasures of the Tibetan environment remain healthy and continue to provide vital ecosystem services. Not only for the people living on the Tibetan Plateau but for hundreds of millions of people in adjoining areas whose lives are affected by what happens to the Tibetan environ-ment. As a first step, we could begin by acknowledg-ing the hallowed nature of the Tibetan landscape and start to treat it with a little more reverence and respect as the Tibetan people have for centuries.

Computer generated visualization of the Tibetan Plateau from satellite imagery. NASA

(left) Stupa at Kirti Monastery in Aba in the northeastern Tibetan area known as Amdo.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of his employer, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or the U.S. Government.