Climate Meltdown in Tibet: Global Recognition Still Missing
Varuna Shankar
The Tibetan Plateau covers approximately 2 percent of the planet, the size of Western Europe, with more than half of the area over 4000 m above sea level. It is the highest and most extensive highland in the world, with as many as 46,000 glaciers, making it the third-largest ice mass in the world. This issue brief aims to identify the importance of the Himalayan glaciers and the potential threat to the fragile mountain ecosystem in the Tibetan region. This would include the natural and anthropogenic factors responsible for its degradation in contemporary times. Furthermore, it delves into the geopolitics of ecology that is ingrained within it and explores the critical role that international climate forums can play in voicing the Tibetan Plateau’s importance in preserving the global climate system.
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