50 Years of Chinese rule has pushed Tibet into ecological disaster

Hong Kong, Aug.30 : The establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 led to efforts to greatly expand agricultural production in China.The ensuing proliferation of irrigation wells sped ahead of the natural rate of replenishment of aquifers that were their source.As a result, regions of China, particularly the arid north, have accumulated a considerable water deficit. This deficit has been further worsened by industrialization and the pollution of groundwater tables.Considering that the Tibetan Plateau is home to some of the world’s most extensive underground aquifers, China’s interest in the exploitation of these resources is obvious.Since the completion of the Golmud-Lhasa Railway in 2006, many such projects have been planned.A Wilson Center report points out that China’s South-North Water Diversion Project has a ‘Western Route’ planned that will tap three tributaries of the Yangtze on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.While the route has received extensive criticism from Chinese and foreign academics alike, the line remains planned.