China’s authoritarian rule in Tibet and the country’s portrayal of Tibet as a part of themselves, have caused the world to ignore the environmental degradation in Tibet, according to Tibet Press.
Tibetans also lack the right to speak against issues affecting their land and way of life, according to Tibet Press.
The region is currently experiencing severe environmental problems. The issues are, however, written off as a simple territorial dispute.
Tibet’s natural resources and ecology have seldom been exploited.
In the most recent World Heritage Watch Report by the International Campaign for Tibet, a Tibetan natural reserve inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site five years ago, was called for to have its status reviewed.
Also designated as a World Heritage Site was Tibet’s Hoh Xil (Achen Gangyap) nature reserve which the Chinese government claimed to be a no-man’s land despite Tibetan nomads using the area. The reserve’s status has not been reassessed since 2017.
Hoh Xil is situated in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the Qinghai Province. The October edition of the 2022 World Heritage Watch report has an analysis from ICT regarding the nature reserve and how, according to the new deadlines set for UNESCO’s Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting, China is not required to submit a periodic review of Hoh Xil until 2024, reported Tibet Press.
Severe problems are raised due to the management of infrastructure projects, tourism, and climate change and displacement of local populations.
It is becoming challenging to keep tabs on the situation in Tibet due to increased censorship of even environmental information coming from Tibet. A thorough evaluation of the site’s management is therefore necessary, according to Tibet Press.
Tibet Rights Collective on Friday reported that despite a massive upsurge in COVID infections across China, Beijing started a winter tourism campaign in illegally-occupied Tibet
China has announced that the “iconic Potala Palace” in Tibet’s capital Lhasa will reopen for tourism after being closed for more than four months. Several other major religious tourist attractions in and around Lhasa were also reopened.
It came on the heels of the January 1 launch of a new round of a Winter Tour Campaign aimed at attracting more visitors to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) during the winter season, which raises concerns given that the COVID-19 threat hasn’t yet subsided, reported TRC.
Visitors to the Potala Palace, the historical winter residence of the Dalai Lamas and their government headquarters, will be admitted free of charge until March 15, according to the official chinadaily.com.cn Jan 2, citing an announcement issued January 1 by the palace administration.