TPI Research Fellow Talks on Tibetan Plateau and its Current Environmental Situation at Zürich University

GENEVA: Under the coordination of the Tibet Bureau, Geneva, in close association with Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association, Tibetan Youth Association in Europe and Student Network Tibet has jointly organised a special talk on “The Global Significance of the Tibetan Plateau and its current environmental issues” by Zamlha Tempa Gyaltsen of Environment and Development Desk, Tibet Policy Institute of the Central Tibetan Administration at the Zurich University on 12 March.

Tempa Gyaltsen addressed the issues of environmental damage being carried out by the Chinese companies backed by Chinese authorities due to excessive mining, forceful removal of Tibetan nomads, damming, increasing garbage littering and contamination of rivers in Tibet. He also spoke about the fast melting of glaciers from the Tibetan plateau which plays significance role in contribution towards impact of global warming and climate change in the west.

In his talk, Mr Gyaltsen highlighted that the temperature rise on the Tibetan plateau is twice more than the global average and greater the snow cover on Tibetan plateau reflects warmer in Canada including recent impact of heat waves in Europe caused by loss of ice on the Tibetan plateau.

Tibet is considered as third pole after North and South Pole because of its huge reservoir of glacier on this planet says Tempa Gyalsten. Tibetan plateau is also known as water tower of Asia. Glacier melts from North & South poles, water goes into the oceans whereas glacier melts from Tibetan plateau turns into six great rivers of Asian countries serving as a life line for more than 1.2 billion peoples from South East Asian countries.

The event wasa attended by around 25 university students including Tibetans and non-Tibetans.

-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Geneva-