(TibetanReview.net, Nov04’24) –Citing research from scientific institutions that underscored alarming rate of glacier retreat, China said Nov 4 that glaciers of Tibet autonomous region (TAR) will receive better legal protection with the implementation of regulations that came into effect on Oct 1, reported the official chinadaily.com.cn Nov 4. But if China’s record on acting or, rather, not-acting on Tibetan public complaints about environmentally devastating – even illegal – resource extraction works being carried out in their local areas is anything to go by, this may be yet another lip service on an otherwise grave issue.
The ground reality is that such kinds of laws are just not seen being implemented in Tibetan areas where it has been the victims who suffered crackdown and punishment for complaining or protesting against the violations of such laws.
Just recently, a 29-year-old Tibetan youth named Tso-ngon Tsering in Ngaba (or Ngawa, Chinese: Aba) county of Sichuan Province was detained and ousted from the country’s social media last month after he filed official complaints and made a social media expose of an environmentally devastating, illegal sand-mining being carried out by an internationally prominent Chinese building company in his Tsaruma village of Khyungchu (Hongyuan) County.
The authorities admitted the sand-mining work was both illegal and environmentally destructive. But the company was let off with only a token fine on the basis of an official report filled with falsehood, according to the online complainant.
The Tsaruma River, on whose bed the devastating sand-mining work was taking place, is linked to the Drichu (Yangtze) and Machu (Yellow) River systems, two of China’s most important.
The chinadaily.com.cn report said the necessity of these regulations was highlighted by the Tibet Development and Reform Commission (TDRC), adding that the protection of glaciers is not only vital for the TAR but also held significance for the ecological security of the entire Tibetan Plateau and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The report cited Sodron, director of TDRC’s department of resource conservation and environmental protection, as saying existing policies and regulations concerning glacier protection were deemed inadequate, lacking effective oversight and management mechanisms.
“The formulation of the Xizang Autonomous Region Glacier Protection Regulations is a targeted response to address these shortcomings and provides clear and comprehensive guidelines for glacier protection efforts in Xizang,” she has said, using the Sinicized name for TAR.
The report said the regulations imposed penalties on construction units or permit holders engaging in activities such as infrastructure development or resource extraction in glacier-adjacent areas without proper mitigation measures. Violators face fines ranging from 20,000 yuan ($2,800) to 100,000 yuan, underscoring the stringent enforcement mechanisms embedded within the legislation.
As regards the urgency for the more stringent regulations, the report said that in recent months, research from scientific institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources and the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research had underscored the alarming rate of glacier retreat, attributing it to the escalating impacts of global climate change. These revelations further emphasize the urgency of robust glacier protection measures, the report said.
He Xiaobo, head of the Tangula Mountains Cryosphere and Environment Observation and Research Station of TAR, has said the Tibetan Plateau, known as the “Roof of the World”, plays an irreplaceable role in ecological security.
“Glaciers, as crucial components of the plateau’s ecosystem, serve not only as the source of many major rivers in Asia but also play a vital role in regulating regional climate and maintaining biodiversity,” he has said.
Based on China’s Second Chinese Glacier Inventory, the PRC has 48,571 glaciers, with approximately 82% in a state of retreat, adding that this poses challenges to water resource management and the health of ecosystems in the country.
There are more than 21,800 glaciers in TAR, representing 45% of glaciers distributed in the PRC; they cover nearly 23,800 square kilometres, He has added.