United States
£ GBP
Tibet is one of the world's most unique biodiverse regions in the world. It boasts of the world's steepest and longest canyon and the tallest peak, Mount Everest. It is also referred to as the "Third Pole" as it has the largest perennial ice mass on the planet after the two Poles. Degradation of Tibet's ecology directly impinges on Asia's ecological well being and have resulted in Tibet warming at almost three times the global average. This holds major long-term implications for the triple role Tibet plays as Asia's main freshwater repository, largest water supplier and principal rainmaker.
The Tibetan Plateau is therefore of invaluable strategic and ecological significance. This volume examines the state of the ecology of the Tibetan Plateau and is a useful contribution to enhancing international understanding of the environmental equation between Tibet and the rest of Asia and the ecological centrality of the Tibetan Plateau.
About the Editors/Contributors
Foreword
Acknowledgement
1. Tibet: The Sacred Landscape in Transition: Introduction / Lok Man S. Palni
Section 1. Sacred Ecology of Tibet under Change
2. Sacred Mountains of Tibet: How they have been Understood from a Tibetan Perspective and their Significance in Environmental Conservation / Zamlha Tempa Gyaltsen
3. The Human Interface of Ecological Change in the Tibetan Plateau / Andreas Gruschke
4. State of the Ecology/Ecology of the State / Gabriel Lafitte
5. Liquid Modernity, Development Trilemma and Ignoledge Governance: A Case Study of the Ecological Crisis in Southwest China / Zhou Lei
6. Implications of Potential Climate Change Impact on Tibetan Eco-Hydrology / Chandan Mahanta
Section 2. Highland Biodiversity and Water Resources
7. Tibet and the Himalayan Borderlands: Thinking Sub-regionally about Sustainable Development / Nimmi Kurian
8. Biodiversity and Regional Significance of Himalayan High Altitude Wetlands / Pankaj Chandan, Aadya Singh and Kiran Rajashekariah
9. Coordination of Water Resource Development and Ecological Protection in the Arid Qaidam Basin, North Qinghai-Tibet Plateau / Jia Shaofeng, ZHU Wenbin, LV Aifeng and HAN Yan
10. China’s Role as an Investor Both Upstream and Downstream in Hydropower / Grace Mang
11. Exploiting the Hydroelectric Potential of Yarlung Zangpo: The Challenges / Yang Yong
12. Policy of Giving Rewards and Subsidies (GRS) for Grassland Ecological Conservation in Tibetan Plateau / Yang Minghong
Section 3. Pastoralism, Mass Tourism and Trans-boundary Issues and Opportunities
13. Pastoralism in Tibet Today: A Study of Pastoral Policy and Practice / Åshild Kolås and Tashi Nyima
14. Is Mass Tourism a Boon or a Bane in the Himalayan Regions and in Tibet? / Claude Arpi
15. China’s Trans-boundary Water Conflicts and Prevention / Zhou Zhanggui
16. Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative: A Trans-boundary Project / Lok Man S. Palni and Ranbeer S. Rawal
Section 4. Third Pole under Climate Change
17. An Overview of High Altitude Warming and Climate Change in the Northwestern Himalayan Mountains / M.R. Bhutiyani
18. Climate Change Impact on the Hydrological Regime of a Tibetan Origin Trans-boundary Eastern Himalayan River Basin of India / Archana Sarkar
19. State of Glaciers, Impacts of Climate Change and Alternatives for Regional Cooperation in Third Pole Region / Shresth Tayal and Nathaniel B. Dkhar
Index
L.M.S. Palni is former director of the G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Almora. Rebon Banerjee Dhar and O.P. Tandon are both founding trustees of the Foundation for non-violent Alternatives.
Contributors:
- Tempa Gyaltsen
- Andreas Gruschke
- Gabriel Lafitte
- Zhou Lei
- Chandan Mahanta
- Nimmi Kurian
- Pankaj Chandan
- Kiran Rajashekariah
- Aadya Singh
- Shaofeng Jia
- Zhu Wenbin
- Yan Han
- Grace Mang
- Yang Yong
- Minghong Yang
- Åshild Kolås
- Tashi Nyima
- Claude Arpi
- Zhanggui Zhou
- Ranbeer S. Rawal
- Mahendra R. Bhutiyani
- Archana Sarkar
- Shresth Tayal
- Nathaniel B Dkhar
