Dharamshala, India — The Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) has launched a new book on the Tibetan environment, entitled Tibetan Perspectives on the Tibet’s Environment, ahead of the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference, in the hope that it will serve as a reference for environmentalists to understand the Tibetan environment.
On September 29, 2021, Penpa Tsering, President of CTA, along with Dawa Tsering, director of TPI, Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, Executive head of the Environment and Development Desk(EDD) of TPI, Dr Tenzin Desal, Senior Fellow of TPI, and Karma Choeying, Secretary of Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) unveiled a new book on Tibet environment entitled Tibetan Perspective on Tibet's Environment.
At the conference, TPI also released its annual report entitled "Tibet 2020: A Year in Review". The annual report is a comprehensive report that discusses some of the most pressing issues in Tibet, detailing the significant event that took place in Tibet throughout the year 2020. The purpose is to not only highlight events and issues but more importantly, to provide information and perspective for the benefit of making future policies.
Explaining the background of the book and describing its purpose, Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha said that the book is a compilation of reports, papers, and articles produced by EDD over the period 2010-2020 as part of EDD's "Climate Action for Tibet" initiative. The sole purpose of the book is to showcase Tibetan perspectives on the environmental crisis in Tibet and to present a vivid picture of the reality of the Tibetan environment. He called on researchers and environmentalists to refer to the book for their research on the Tibetan environment.
He added that the book is the first comprehensive book written entirely by Tibetan environmental researchers with a strong Tibetan perspective, and further noted that it was inspired by His Holiness the Dalai Lama's longstanding concern for environmental protection and the deteriorating environmental situation in Tibet.
Penpa Tsering, political leader of Tibet said the book is a much-needed repository of information and facts for the world and is valuable for understanding environmental issues in Tibet over the past decade and their connection to global climate change. He added that it is necessary to have such a comprehensive book written entirely by Tibetan researchers.
Sikyong(political leader) further stated that the book is also a potential mechanism for governments and world leaders to develop policies that make a substantial case for environmental issues in Tibet. He noted that the book will be a contributing factor for those attending the upcoming UN COP26 conference on climate change in Glasgow, Scotland.
TPI has published the book "Tibetan Perspectives on the Environment in Tibet" as part of the 'COP26-Climate Action for Tibet' campaign by the Environment and Development Desk of TPI, Central Tibetan Administration(CTA). The release of the book marks the actual start of "COP26-Tibet's Climate Action" ahead of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12, 2021.
The Tibetan Perspective on Tibet's Environment talks about climate change in Tibet and Asia, denial of Tibetan people’s rights on their native land, climate change impacts on the Tibetan plateau and its implications on Asian water resources, the violation of social-environmental rights of the Tibetan people under people’s Republic of China’s occupation, the world’s third pole is melting, China’s 60 years of environmental destruction in Tibet, China is using Tibet’s waters against India.
