Tibet’s Climate Crisis

The scientific consensus in the People’s Republic of China and beyond demands a critical rethink of these policies. This briefing will highlight how indigenous stewardship of land would better achieve the stated goals of protecting the environment.

Tibetans’ traditional ecological knowledge system rooted in its animistic beliefs and Buddhism has allowed its glaciers, snow mountains, frozen soil, lakes and rivers to remain intact for centuries and has thus ensured the stability of its diverse ecosystems and year-round freshwater availability for its neighbouring countries. This knowledge must be recognised and used to inform environmental policy in the Tibetan Plateau.