Slow drowning of Tibetan grasslands fenced in by Beijing

Abstract

The initiative that led to pasture being fenced off is part of a string of Chinese grassland policies. Although Tibet has its own regional government, policies concerning what is called the Tibet Autonomous Region are effectively handed down from the Chinese government in Beijing. This article traces the degradation of grasslands and with it, nomadic culture, due to fencing the land. It is becoming clear that grassland privatization, which was introduced to protect the environment, is causing biodiversity loss and a decline in grassland quality. Due to climate change, meltwater submerges the highlands and snowstorms hit trapped herds; shrinking glaciers defrost soil, increasing flow into mountain lakes