By Zamlha Tempa Gyaltsen
July 31, 2018
The impact of climate change on the
Tibetan plateau is apparent with unusual scale of torrential rainfall reported
across Tibet. The drastic climatic shift has resulted in high frequency of
floods and landslides occurring simultaneously in various part of Tibet as we
write.
Figure 2: Flooded Summer Nomadic
Pasture in Chungchu Dzong in Ngawa in South-East Amdo, Tibet
The scale and frequency of natural
disasters in year 2018 has been as severe as it has been in the last two years.
Waterlogged homes and flooded summer pastures in different parts of Amdo is a
worrying sight and an alarming trend. Following are the list of ongoing
floods in Tibet:
- July 10, 2018 – More than 19 townships, 101 villages
and 9122 families were affected by floods in Drukchu Dzong (kanlho
Prefecture, Gansu) in eastern Amdo due to heavy rainfall.
- July 10, 2018 – Flood like situations continue in
different parts of Central Tibet. Massive landslides in Ringpu Dzong
blocked Highway 318, surging river in Sakya Dzong threatened the ancient
Sakya monastery, and the Lhasa Kyichu has risen at a dangerous level.
- July 11, 2018 – Landslides and mudslides in Powo
Dzong blocked Chengdu-Lhasa highway.
- July 12, 2018 – An unusual scene of water-logging
were seen inside homes in Tongkor Dzong near Siling City due to heavy
rainfall.
- July 14, 2018 – A threat from surging river, due to
heavy rainfall, is reported from Rabgya area of Machen County in Amdo.
- July 14, 2018 – Monks from Zoige Taktsa Gompa and
Muge Gompa were seen helping locals with rescue efforts during the floods
in the region.
- July 15, 2018 – Landslides were reported due to heavy
rainfall in Zamthang Dzong in Ngawa region of Tibet.
- July 15, 2018 – A brave Tibetan policeman rescued a
local resident who was washed away by the surging Nyung River in Shigatze.
- July 17, 2018 – Unusual (summer) heavy snowfall was
reported in the Gormo region of northern Tibet.
Figure 1: Homes damaged by Floods
in Ngawa in Amdo, Tibet
A rare case of floods over a vast
area of a summer pasture site has put Tibetan nomads and their tents inundated
in many regions of Ngawa in Amdo.
Ever since 2016, Tibet has seen
unprecedented number of floods, landslides, and mudslides due to rising
temperature and increasing rainfall. For the first time in 2016, a new trend of
simultaneous landslides, mudslides and floods were reported from different
parts of Amdo. The extent of natural disasters has been much more severe in the
following year (2017) with massive floods in many parts of Kham.
The once cold and arid plateau is
undergoing a massive climatic shift with warming rate of 0.3°C per
decade, which is twice more than the global average. According to a scientific
paper on the climatic shift in Tibet from 1961 -2015, published by a group of
Chinese scientists (April 25, 2017), they have cited continuous rise in both
temperature and precipitation for the last 50 years. The paper also stated that
the years 1962-1985 and 1991-1998 were dry periods, while the years 1985-1991
and 1998-2000 were periods of more rainfall. The research was based on data
from hundreds of meteorological stations spread across the plateau. The
researchers found that places like Dartsedo, Nyarong, Lithang, Tsethang,
Delingkha and Dulan experienced maximum increase in precipitation, while
Sershul, Chigdril and Shigatze recorded the largest decrease in rainfall.
As per our understanding, a)
climate change and rising temperature, b) rapid urbanization and excessive
construction works, c) topographic features and location of towns and villages,
d) poor construction materials or traditional homes not suitable for the new
climatic reality, e) lack climate change awareness programs to adapt to the new
climatic pattern and mitigate the impacts are the five primary causes of
increasing natural disasters in Tibet. We have been focusing on these issues by
highlighting the situation through talks, articles and short video films in
hope of making the Chinese government aware of the dire situation and to take
necessary measures to mitigate the impact. We also launched a six-minute video
on the subject recently to assist Tibetans both in exile and in Tibet, to
understand the causes of the increasing natural disasters in Tibet.
The change is inevitable, hence we
have to adapt to the rapidly changing climatic pattern on the Tibetan Plateau
and must take necessary measures to mitigate the impact of the new climatic
reality. Beyond the numerous threats, the rising temperature and increased
rainfall on the (once) arid plateau also has positive benefits that we must
harness. An extensive tree plantation drive across Tibet is urgently needed to
prevent further floods, landslides, desertification and rising temperature.
Such initiative is ideal at the moment as the increased precipitation on the
plateau will support growth of trees where previously not possible.
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