Occupying almost a
quarter of present-day China, the once-isolated and remote Tibetan Plateau
increasingly assumes a vital role in our complex interdependent world. Though
sparsely populated, the mighty rivers that originate here sustain the lives of
billions inhabiting neighbouring South and East Asian plains; yet the glaciers
of Tibet’s fragile ecosystem, which feed these rivers, are rapidly degrading
through exposure to greenhouse gases produced by the very populations they
mercifully sustain. The impact of Tibet’s Buddhist civilization – the product
of a sophisticated literary and artistic heritage – extends far beyond this
mountain fastness, nurturing the human spirit across cultural divides to
inspire wisdom and compassion among Chinese Buddhists and intellectuals and
throughout the world. Yet the Tibetan people struggle to assimilate the
benefits of modernization and economic development, while maintaining their
unique heritage and world view. This is the background to the tumultuous events
of 2008 when unprecedented nationwide protests occurred, and a devastating
earthquake struck the eastern fringe of the plateau. While new infrastructure
ensures Tibet’s magnificence will be ever more accessible to global travel and
tourism, it behoves the authorities to address these real concerns, embracing
change through dialogue.
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