Like generations of Tibetan nomads before him, Phuntsok Dorje makes a living raising yaks and other livestock on the vast alpine grasslands that provide a thatch on the roof of the world.
But in recent years the vegetation around his home, the Tibetan plateau, has been destroyed by rising temperatures, excess livestock and plagues of insects and rodents.
The high-altitude meadows are rarely mentioned in discussions of global warming, but the changes to this ground have a profound impact on Tibetan politics and the world's ecological security.
For Phuntsok Dorje, the issue is more down to earth. He is used to dramatically shifting cloudscapes above his head, but it is the changes below his feet that make him uneasy.
"The grass used to be up to here," Phuntsok says, indicating a point on his leg a little below the knee. "Twenty years ago, we had to scythe it down. But now, well, you can see for yourself. It's so short it looks like moss."
The green prairie that used to surround his tent has become a brown desert. All that is left of the grasslands here are yellowing blotches on a stony surface riddled with rodent holes.
It is the same across much of this plateau, which encompasses an area a third of the size of the US.
Desertification
Scientists say the desertification of the mountain grasslands is accelerating climate change. Without its thatch the roof of the world is less able to absorb moisture and more likely to radiate heat.
Partly because of this the Tibetan mountains have warmed two to three times faster than the global average; the permafrost and glaciers of the "Third Pole" are melting.
To make matters worse, the towering Kunlun, Himalayan and Karakorum ranges that surround the plateau act as a chimney for water vapour – which has a stronger greenhouse gas effect than carbon dioxide – to be convected high into the stratosphere. Mixed with pollution, dust and black carbon (soot) from India and elsewhere, this spreads a brown cloud across swaths of the Eurasian landmass. When permafrost melts it can also release methane, another powerful greenhouse gas. Xiao Ziniu, the director general of the Beijing climate centre, says Tibet's climate is the most sensitive in Asia and influences the globe.
Grassland degradation is evident along the twisting mountain road from Yushu to Xining, which passes through the Three Rivers national park, the source of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. Along some stretches the landscape is so barren it looks more like the Gobi desert than an alpine meadow.
Phuntsok Dorje (name has been changed) is among the last of the nomads scratching a living in one of the worst affected areas. "There used to be five families on this plain. Now we are the only one left and there is not enough grass even for us," he says. "It's getting drier and drier and there are more and more rats every year."
Until about 10 years ago the nearest town, Maduo, used to be the richest in Qinghai province thanks to herding, fishing and mining, but residents say their economy has dried up along with the nearby wetlands.
"This all used to be a lake. There wasn't a road here then. Even a Jeep couldn't have made it through," said a Tibetan guide, Dalang Jiri, as we drove through the area. By one estimate, 70% of the former rangeland is now desert.
"Maduo is now very poor. There is no way to make a living," said a Tibetan teacher who gave only one name, Angang. "The mines have closed and grasslands are destroyed. People just depend on the money they get from the government. They just sit on the kang [a raised, heated, floor] and wait for the next payment."
Many of the local people are former herders moved off the land under a controversial "ecological migration" scheme launched in 2003. The government in Beijing is in the advanced stages of relocating between 50% and 80% of the 2.25 million nomads on the Tibetan plateau. According to state media, this programme aims to restore the grasslands, prevent overgrazing and improve living standards.
The Tibetan government-in-exile says the scheme does little for the environment and is aimed at clearing the land for mineral extraction and moving potential supporters of the Dalai Lama into urban areas where they can be more easily controlled.
Qinghai is dotted with resettlement centres, many on the way to becoming ghettos. Nomads are paid an annual allowance – of 3,000 yuan (about £300) to 8,000 yuan per household – to give up herding for 10 years and be provided with housing. As in some native American reservations in the US and Canada, they have trouble finding jobs. Many end up either unemployed or recycling rubbish or collecting dung.
Some feel cheated. "If I could go back to herding, I would. But the land has been taken by the state and the livestock has been sold off so we are stuck here. It's hopeless," said Shang Lashi, a resident at a resettlement centre in Yushu. "We were promised jobs. But there is no work. We live on the 3,000 yuan a year allowance, but the officials deduct money from that for the housing, which was supposed to be free."
Their situation was made worse by the earthquake that struck Yushu earlier this year, killing hundreds. People were crushed when their new concrete homes collapsed, a risk they would not have faced in their itinerant life on the grasslands. Many are once again living under canvas – in disaster relief tents and without land or cattle.
In a sign of the sensitivity of the subject, the authorities declined to officially answer the Guardian's questions. Privately, officials said resettlement and other efforts to restore the grassland, including fencing off the worst areas, were worthwhile.
"The situation has improved slightly in the past five years. We are working on seven areas, planting trees and trying to restore the ecosystem around closed gold mines," said one environmental officer. The problem would not be solved in the short term. "This area is particularly fragile. Once the grasslands are destroyed, they rarely come back. It is very difficult to grow grass at high altitude."
The programme's effectiveness is questioned by others, including Wang Yongchen, founder of the Green Earth Volunteers NGO and a regular visitor to the plateau for 10 years. "Overgrazing was considered a possible cause of the grassland degradation, but things haven't improved since the herds were enclosed and the nomads moved. I think climate change and mining have had a bigger impact."
Assessing the programme is complicated by political tensions. In the past year, three prominent Tibetan environmental campaigners have been arrested after exposing corruption and flaws in wildlife conservation on the plateau.
Infestation
Another activist, who declined to give his name, said it was difficult to comment. "The situation is complicated. Some areas of grassland are getting better. Others are worse. There are so many factors involved."
A growing population of pika, gerbils, mice and other rodents is also blamed for degradation of the land because they burrow into the soil and eat grass roots.
Zoologists say this highlights how ecosystems can quickly move out of balance. Rodent numbers have increased dramatically in 10 years because their natural predators – hawks, eagles and leopards – have been hunted close to extinction. Belatedly, the authorities are trying to protect wildlife and attract birds of prey by erecting steel vantage points to replace felled trees.
There is widespread agreement that this climatically important region needs more study.
"People have not paid enough attention to the Tibetan plateau. They call it the Third Pole but actually it is more important than the Arctic or Antarctic because it is closer to human communities. This area needs a great deal more research," said Yang Yong, a Chinese explorer and environmental activist. "The changes to glaciers and grasslands are very fast. The desertification of the grassland is a very evident phenomenon on the plateau. It's a reaction by a sensitive ecosystem that will precede similar reactions elsewhere."
Phuntsok Dorje is unlikely to take part in any study. But he's seen enough to be pessimistic about the future. "The weather is changing. It used to rain a lot in the summer and snow in the winter. There was a strong contrast between the seasons, but not now. It's getting drier year after year. If it carries on like this I have no idea what I will do."
Additional reporting by Cui Zheng
• To order Jonathan Watts' book, When a Billion Chinese Jump, for £9.99 (rrp £14.99) call 0845 606 4232 or visit guardianbooks.co.uk.
Comments in chronological order (Total 60 comments)
Post a comment2 September 2010 7:43PM
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2 September 2010 8:13PM
Cue for deniers to come in and refudiate the plight of the Tibetans :-).
2 September 2010 8:28PM
See, told ya.
Add that to the list of bloody terrifying climate stories, then.
2 September 2010 8:47PM
This is hardly conclusive, the grass could just be disappearing due to natural grass variability. In fact, during the medieval "no-grass" period, there was no grass anywhere further south the Koln, and a Viking called "Erik teh Green" went to a place called Greenland, which definitely was green at the time and he wasn't just lying to make other people move there with him, in search of grass.
Given the slapping that Esra has just been given I should probably point out that I do understand how irony works and I hope you all do too.
2 September 2010 8:54PM
Welcome 'Sim1' from the amerikas. The word 'variability' is an indicator that you follow the denier cult from wattsupwiththat.com and other denier websites.
2 September 2010 8:56PM
Topic.
An area the size of this on the Earth's surface is about to turn into a desert and a unique culture as threatened as this merits a little more than facetiousness please.
2 September 2010 8:56PM
I deny everything.
Time to arrest me.
But seriously folks, if you want to see desertification in Europe just travel a few miles inland from your holiday resort on the coast in Spain.
The problem with this ecology business is that it's so big the politicians can't see it. Like the Polynesians couldn't see Cook's ship sitting in the bay of their island. Nobody really knows what to do and we're moving from "It's not true" to "There's nothing we can do about it" very rapidly.
Soon we'll all have our heads in the sand. Literally.
2 September 2010 8:57PM
I think it was Erik the Red. Perhaps you too are ironic like esra? If it is that the case, then I'll take the above comment back.
2 September 2010 9:14PM
PeterNIchols
Do you really think anyone is going to argue there was a medieval "no-grass" period?
Sheeesh.
2 September 2010 9:19PM
Oh the nut jobs will be here soon enough.
However at the moment they seem to be over at the Telegraph salivating at that tit dellingpole's latest rant.
2 September 2010 9:23PM
Thousands of square miles of nothing and Phuntsok Dorje is still rubbish at Hide and Seek. "Your mate's hiding behind the red curtain".
(I hate the use of smileys, winks, and acronyms etc. but given the above, how do I show that although my comment is flippant, I am concerned at the plight of the people in the article?)
2 September 2010 9:29PM
Make up your minds. On 7th August Leo Hickman told us that the PIKA was under threat from 'climate change' . Today we read that ' GROWING POPULATIONS of PIKA (+ gerbils, mice and other rodents) is also blamed for degradation (of the grassland). WTF ?
2 September 2010 9:31PM
But in recent years the vegetation around his home, the Tibetan plateau, has been destroyed by rising temperatures, excess livestock and plagues of insects and rodents.
I thought that a slight increase in tempearature ,0.14deg/decade , caused death in mamals.
So which piece of the above statement do I take seriously...None.
PS. If Newton and Galileo conducted science experiments like these reporters report climate events,we would conclude that chickens can defy gravity.These reports are just idiotic .
2 September 2010 9:34PM
The writing is on the wall.
Its also all over the Tibetan Plateau, and faces of the people who used to live there. As they shovel dung in one of China's sprawling metropolis', their people & culture dispersed, assmiliated and eradicated.
Not the greatest background to a joke I ever heard.
Climate with be the catalyst for a disaster that affects us sooner or later, its inevitable.
Sure we'll hear some fine comedy then too.
2 September 2010 9:46PM
No way the human race is going to be able to stop climate change. They're too dumb to get their heads around sarcasm.
(That wasn't sarcasm.)
2 September 2010 10:00PM
Is this what the debate has degenerated to? Sarcasm, jokes, piss-takes, disbelief, denial and uninformed declarations? This is yet another nail in the coffin for our planet's natural environment, whether anthropogenic or not, and further evidence that China's policies in Tibet are unsustainable and racially motivated. Can you please find something else to be flippant about
2 September 2010 10:07PM
Ho hum...
At the risk of being thought a 'teabagger' I'll bite.
- As pointed out before, numerous times, a lot of changes in that neck of the woods have far more local causes. Credit to this article for noting these, and in particular the monstrous clouds of soot generated in India. Something could be done about this and other problems a lot more easily than the changes required to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But that would involve telling developing countries to stop blaming the west and sort out their own issues - not likely.
- The existence of nomads on plains such as these has always been marginal - to pretend that every year they (used to) get luxuriant grass on these plains is nonsense. There are, believe it or not, natural cycles which have nowt to do with our actions - but, of course, such a non-anthropocentric viewpoint is never accepted, just as arguing that people ought to drop whatever teleology floats their particular boat (religion, socialism, climate change, etc) is never popular either. In the past they would have got on with it or starved, instead of seeking out the media. They would of course have blamed some sky-god or other for the lack of grass - no change there then.
2 September 2010 10:12PM
Chainsawmiasma. China's 'policies in Tibet' are not the problem. If you READ the article and follow the links you will clearly see that the Tibetans have killed off the Eagles, Hawks and Leopards which used to eat the pretty little PIKA which Leo Hickman was desperate to save in April last year, and they are now eating all the grass roots. Although both Leo and Jonathan seek to blame this on 'climate change' it would appear that bad husbandry is the culprit.
2 September 2010 10:23PM
When I was crossing the Tibetan grasslands last year, the grass was in fine fettle and their Zho (great word if you play scrabble as it can be Zo,Dso or Dzo) herds were thriving. Obviously this was not in an area where natural predators of the evil/endangered (you choose) PIKA, had been eliminated.
2 September 2010 11:07PM
Another awful story among so so many. Daily almost. Yesterday there was another study on the impact of CO2 on ocean life, to quote "unless we curb carbon emissions we risk mass extinctions". Another tipping point, this one in the oceans at at PH7.8.
Yet, BBC 24 covers days and days of every tiny change in a daft story about 3 greedy Pakistani cricketeers cheating the bookies. Today, that was intertwined with some rumour about William Hague. Who cares about those things whilst we are blithely missing that our planet is rapidly on a course to continue without us.
Perhaps we have a priority deficiency. Perhaps whomever designed man, failed to give us enough sense.
Ok, so we have, lands to sand, air unbreathable, oceans dead, forests burn, species extinct.. including man. Brilliant. And why? Because many people cannot see beyond idiotic oil company propaganda and basic self-obsession.
But don't lose heart, the battle is not over yet. It's probably going to get a lot worse before it gets at all better. Perhaps it's what we need, a real good scare to get us to change. Perhaps it is the only thing that will.
3 September 2010 12:33AM
Phew! Thank God it's not "climate change is accelerating the desertification of the mountain grasslands of the Tibetan plateau". :o)
This Guardian piece is just more alarmism. If I had more time I would debunk this utter rubbish. In the meantime here is some contary stuff.
From the WWF.
Key threats
Development is the major factor influencing the quality of Tibet's ecosystem:
* Demands by Tibet's fast-growing human population, construction of roads, mining, and poor grazing practices are degrading Tibet's grasslands
* Commercial logging, slash and burn cultivation, collection of wood for firewood, construction, traditional agriculture practice, and making incense are destroying Tibet's old-growth forests
* Illegal hunting of wildlife
* Conflicts between wildlife conservation and livestock raising, which threatens species such as the brown bear and wild yak
Where is climate change / GLOBAL WARMNG???????????
Cold is the real problem for some countries you know.
Cold temperatures kill 1.7 million livestock in Mongolia
2009/ 2010 winter
3 September 2010 12:48AM
From:
I disagree. Remember the Sahel and the American Dust-bowl. Overpopulated herbivores and and crude agriculture methodology can also lead to desertification on the quick. No need to evoke climate change at the drop of a hat. A little wind and hungry animals and you got yourself a quick desert.
Heymat, one who believes in noble pastoral migration and in the no-till happiness of life
3 September 2010 2:06AM
Bufo, the pika that's endangered because of climate change is the North American mountain species, which suffers from heat and increased competition and predation when the weather keeps getting hotter, and cannot keep moving to a cooler climate for long because there's only so far up you can go before you run out of mountain.
I have little information about the Asian steppe pika, which may be increasing temporarily if its predators have been killed off, but won't be for long if the grass continues to die.
And for all of you wearing jumpers, we in the US envy you. It's been over 90°F (32C) for about 56 days this summer in the Washington DC area and we're expecting more of the same next week. Globally it's the hottest year on record, however cool it may be in some places.
3 September 2010 2:21AM
This article is about an important topic indeed, but it is much too kind to the Chinese government. It is written as if the desertification of the Tibetan plateau is strictly a natural phenomenon.
In fact, the Chinese government historically has had a hugely negative effect on the Tibetan environment. This goes back to the days to communalization of land. At that time, the Chinese government had the crazy idea that in order to "civilize" the Tibetans, it had to make them grow wheat, something that grows very poorly on the Tibetan plateau. To the extent that any crops could grow at all there, it was hardy barley, from which Tibetans made tsampa-- roasted barley-- a staple in their diet.
Tibetan pastoralists and agriculturalists had been living for centuries in harmony with the land long before the Chinese invasion in 1950. If there is anyone who knows how to take care of the environment, it is them, among other reasons because they depend upon it for their livelihood. But instead of involving them in decision-making regarding the environment, the Chinese government is-- as the article points out-- forcibly removing them from the land. This is a gross human rights abuses in many respects, and it has virtually nothing to do with protecting the environment. It has to do with controlling the people. Why else would you take the people who know the environment best and have taken care of it for centuries and remove them from the environment?
There are countless stories of woe about the forcible relocation, the internment of those forcibly located in resettlement camps in the middle of nowhere which essentially are little different from concentration camps, the refusal to provide adequate compensation for whole villages that have been forced to move to locations which they say are far inferior to their previous locations. And, as the article points out, much of the relocation is clearly done for purposes other than preserving the environment, for example, in order to get to natural resources or to build dams.
Unfortunately, these stories rarely get reported in the international media (and don't get reported at all in the Chinese media). I entirely sympathize with foreign journalists, since the Chinese do not want them in these areas, as their refusal to answer Mr. Watts' queries attests. And interviewing people in these areas puts them at risk of retribution by the Chinese government. Still, it would be great if the foreign media would give more attention to this "buried story", to these people made invisible.
When focusing on the environment, it is important to focus on people living in the environment. How can you protect the environment if you don't protect the rights of the people living there?
3 September 2010 3:39AM
The article spoke of a Tibetan Government in exile. Is there a Tibetan Government outside Tibet? Which country or countries recognize this Government in exile?
3 September 2010 4:23AM
Climate change is nothing new: it is the main suspect for wiping out the Indus civilization 3500 years ago, mind you without CO2 side effects.
The same applies today; black soot from India and China, plus the influx of millions of Chinese into Tibet by road and rail are surely man made influences on the local climate. The solution is not carbon tax but adaptation, just like before.
3 September 2010 5:10AM
tibet...*yawn*
3 September 2010 5:37AM
"Belatedly, the authorities are trying to protect wildlife and attract birds of prey by erecting steel vantage points to replace felled trees."
And in this one sentence you can find a major cause of the degredation of the land. They cut down the trees.
3 September 2010 6:54AM
lubu89... *yawn*
3 September 2010 8:07AM
FrankLittle
esra
A joke? If esra had written his post in reply to other similar 'genuine' posts then I would have seen the irony/funny side of it and and clicked on 'recommend', which I also would have done if he'd started his post with 'Now we're going to get a lot of posts stating...' But to start the thread how he did was a bit pointless and he should either find a new script writer or leave climate change 'jokes' to the people who do it best, the climate change deniers.
Would it not be a good idea to employ Tibetan nomads to organise/work on environmental projects in the area? Also the reintroduction of small predators whose numbers have been decimated because of being hunted for fur would keep down the numbers of rats and gerbils, surely we should be treating this territory as an international site of special scientific interest and funds distributed accordingly.
Had to rush the last sentence, need to pick up my daughter from school.
3 September 2010 8:20AM
Sim1
It must have seemed funny when you wrote it. Don't attempt irony if the facts don't support your argument.
3 September 2010 8:34AM
RedPanda. If you 'wiki' PIKA, you find 30 different species, also called coneys or rock rabbits. They're all herbivores and populations will increase dramatically if all predators are eliminated to the point where their food- grass- also becomes scarce. Always blaming 'climate change' whether populations rise or fall is now somewhat hackneyed.
3 September 2010 8:46AM
Is this another Glacier type of story from the 'scientific experts'?
3 September 2010 8:47AM
Surely the important point here is that Phuntsok Dorje is losing his way of life
and lose of revenue to feed himself, of course he isn't the only one affected by this, the economy of Tibet will begin to suffer as well, as if this country hasn't had enough strife, to contend with.
People are cruel to make fun of this terrible plight, the irony brigade should remember that what goes around comes around.
I really care what happens to people like Phuntsok, and about people who are willing to help save planet earth, by being the pioneers to a new and more earth friendly way to live.
I hope I live to see the look of horror on the faces of every climate change denier when they finally remove thier heads from their bums and watch the muck hit the fan. It is a great pity that I cannot write what I really think of these climate change denier morons because it would be removed.
3 September 2010 9:18AM
Climate change is nothing new: it is the main suspect for wiping out the Indus civilization 3500 years ago, mind you without CO2 side effects.
3 September 2010 9:30AM
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3 September 2010 9:46AM
Seems that a lot of the causes for the grasslands current condition find their cause in human activity. Who cut down the trees? Who hunts animals to near extinction? CO2 just comes into it as an afterthought.
3 September 2010 9:50AM
The HuMan - news deficiency - I think you're close too it. I think many humans are almost neurologically incapable of seeing the "big picture" as it affects things beyond their immediate daily experience. And for most people living in the west, that's "The X-Factor/BB/CSI", the pub, local Tescos, my motor, and the local pizzeria/McDonalds. Beyond that, well, there;s nothing worth thinking about, innit?
3 September 2010 9:53AM
Sorry to those who think my last post may seem elitist or arrogant. But there you go. Innit.
3 September 2010 10:35AM
Nihilistoffhismeds92
The Jet Stream shifted. The other factors you mention exacerbated the problem, and THIS SCIENTIST was ignored which only made the problem continue and worsen.
Nature does what it does, and we can easily make it worse.
3 September 2010 10:37AM
@Lubu89
I imagine you find the vanishing grasslands of Tibet as yawnsome as the desertification of north China. The same thing mate and potentially cataclysmic in economic terms and rebellion-inducing in social terms.
3 September 2010 10:39AM
'Qinghai is dotted....with ghettos'
should alert us all to the genocidal impulse now being played out as if what happened when white people colonised North and South America, what British-built concentration camps were designedfor in the Boer War, and the long story of Nazism hadn't taught us anything.
The thing is that when the climate change deniers start their wretched little intrusions on our serious journalists' columns, they hijack the dbate, focussing it on to THEIR pet issues.
In the melee the real human suffering is not at the core of our attention. Which suits those in power very well, and allows terrible abuse to continue.
As we write, Tibetan families who have lost their generations-old patterns of pasture management and allocation amongst tribal groups, their culture of superb animal husbandry, music, embroidery, faith, happy childcare, playfulness and harmonious respect for their landscape - are rotting in crowded shacks on camps without gardens or schools or medical care. Health declines rapidly in these circumstances and I wish I could send some of the selfish writers who've contributed to this comment thread out there and see how they would like it.
3 September 2010 10:41AM
a few typos, but there we are
Injustice and ignorance incense anyone decent
3 September 2010 10:45AM
Cool tent....
3 September 2010 10:46AM
As the article clearly states, the desertification is contributing to climate change: more warmth, more high altitude water vapour, more methane from melting permafrost. Against a background of ever rising Co2 and innumerable other feedback mechanisms I don't hold out much hope for Phuntsok, sad to say. Then again, I don't hold out much hope for the 'business as usual' brigade either. Railing against the inevitable is never going to lead to much happiness.
3 September 2010 10:48AM
Sparclear - well said.
3 September 2010 11:16AM
A cooler world results in less precipitation, a warmer one results increased precipitation as evidenced by the geological record. Unfortunately those following the climate change path of an increasing global temperature are unable, or unwilling, to grasp this fact.
3 September 2010 12:15PM
Empirical
A warmer world results in increased precipitation and more drought.
Where it was wet tends to get wetter. Where it was dry tends to get drier.
3 September 2010 12:31PM
If one day I read an article that says "X has happened - climate change NOT to blame", then I will accept the other 99 articles that say "Y has happened - climate change to blame".
3 September 2010 12:52PM
A warmer world results in increased precipitation and more drought. Where it was wet tends to get wetter. Where it was dry tends to get drier.
And the areas of increased precipation expand into the drier areas. Do not forget that the Tibetan Plateau sits in the Himalayan complex and variable rain shadow.