Stockholm, Sweden – A new report from the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo‑Pacific Affairs (SCSA‑IPA) calls the Tibetan Plateau “the quiet front line of the climate crisis.” The paper, issued by the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), brings together more than twenty experts to show how rapid warming on the world’s largest high‑altitude plateau threatens Asia’s water supplies, regional stability and global climate plans.
Fast‑moving warming
The study finds the Tibetan Plateau is heating at twice the global average. Glaciers are shrinking, permafrost is melting, and grasslands are eroding. These changes damage the river systems that feed 1.9 billion people across South and Southeast Asia. Yet the plateau remains a “blind spot” in international climate talks, the report argues, with little representation at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or COP meetings.
Governance, infrastructure and ecological stress
China’s “ecological civilization” narrative belies a different reality. The country has built highways, railways, airports and hydropower dams that cross altiplano permafrost and fragment fragile ecosystems. Many of these projects have dual military and civilian uses, creating a hidden agenda that heightens environmental damage. Military training in high‑altitude zones puts fragile soils at risk, while China keeps most environmental data secret, slowing global assessment.
Hydropower and the Brahmaputra
One of the report’s biggest alarms is the proposed Medog dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) – a $160 billion complex that aims to turn Tibet into a hydropower hub. Experts warn that seismic activity and landslides could devastate downstream ecosystems in India and Bangladesh. The lack of open impact studies fuels fears that water could be used as a geopolitical tool.
Mining of critical raw materials
Tibet is also a hotspot for lithium, copper and rare‑earth mining. These resources are vital for the global green‑energy transition, yet extraction is happening with minimal regulation and little input from local communities. The Stockholm paper labels this “extractive colonialism,” noting the pollution, deforestation and cultural loss that accompany the push for global sustainability.
People displaced
Since 2000, close to one million Tibetans have been moved under the guise of “ecological protection” or poverty alleviation. Many have been relocated multiple times, without fair compensation or sustainable jobs. The combination of forced moves, demographic engineering and assimilationist schooling erodes cultural identity and the stewardship practices that helped preserve the plateau’s high‑altitude ecology for centuries.
Why Tibet matters globally
The plateau’s stability is essential for monsoon patterns, biodiversity corridors and the climate of the entire continent. Even though China’s sovereignty concerns limit international dialogue, the paper urges that Tibet be treated with the same urgency as the Arctic or low‑lying island nations. The plateau’s health directly influences water, food and energy security for a massive portion of the world.
A Ten‑Point Roadmap
To keep the Tibetan Plateau in focus, the report offers a ten‑point action plan:
- Establish independent monitoring – Use satellite and hydrological data overseen by UN or multilateral bodies.
- Create trans‑boundary water governance – A possible Brahmaputra Basin Commission could share data transparently.
- Tighten climate accountability – Link green finance and trade to strict environmental and social safeguards.
- Integrate environmental safeguards into military planning – Reduce ecological damage from dual‑use infrastructure.
- Protect cultural heritage – UNESCO‑led initiatives and representation in global climate forums.
- Recognise displaced Tibetans as climate‑affected refugees – Enable UNHCR support mechanisms.
- Promote renewable alternatives – Prioritise solar and wind over mega‑dams.
- Embed the Hindu Kush‑Himalayan ecosystem in UNFCCC, CBD and SDG processes.
- Counter misinformation – Amplify Tibetan scientists’ voices.
- Empower civil society and academia – Document and share evidence about the crisis.
Action now
The report calls on governments, research institutions and civil society to bring the Tibetan Plateau to the heart of COP 30 and future climate policy. Protecting the plateau is not a political act; it is an ecological necessity that impacts Asia’s water, food and energy security—and ultimately the planet’s climate stability.
Source: aninews
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