Chinese projects in Tibet damaging local environment

New Delhi: China is using Tibet as a resource hub to propel its renewable energy campaign, but this is happening at a high cost to the region’s environment and the life of the local population, according to reports.

China is building major green infrastructure in Tibet, including large solar projects and the planned Metok (Motuo) mega-dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo. Many batteries used in clean technologies also depend on materials produced in the region. Tibet therefore stands at the forefront of China’s green energy development across wind, solar, and hydropower. Mineral exploration and extraction in Tibet are also intensifying, again to fuel the green energy industry amid China’s rising energy demand.

China has also identified a new source of high-purity quartz in Tingkye County, Shigatse City, aiming to reduce reliance on imports of this critical material used in solar panels and semiconductors, according to the South China Morning Post. These developments reflect China’s accelerating exploration of strategic minerals in Tibet.

The expansion of solar farms is presented as beneficial for Tibet’s ecology. However, Sangay Tashi’s research suggests that it is difficult to definitively assess whether such projects are truly helpful. Instead, deep uncertainty remains about how this widespread construction of solar farms may disrupt traditional cultural practices and ways of life in the future.

Despite these concerns, China has reacted by cracking down on those who raise concerns about Tibet’s ecological, cultural, and social landscape. According to Save Tibet, Chinese authorities arrested more than 1,000 Tibetans during protests against the Khamtok Dege Dam. Separately, Tsongon Tsering was reportedly suppressed for speaking out against illegal Chinese mining practices in Tibet. Soon after, mass arrests and a communication blackout occurred in Kham Zachuka following the discovery of gold deposits at Serkhok.

China has evidently failed to follow the principles outlined in Critical Energy Transition Minerals, a 2025 document prepared by the UN Secretary-General’s Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development.

China presents itself as a green energy powerhouse, a portrayal that has received global appreciation. But some of its landmark renewable energy projects are damaging the environment and local livelihoods – especially in Tibet, according to an article in The Diplomat.

These developments pose serious environmental risks and carry significant social and geopolitical implications. Although China presents its green energy expansion as an environmental initiative, unsustainable mining and rapid hydropower development in Tibet are turning the region into a resource hub for China’s energy transition. If green energy is genuinely intended to support environmental protection, China should follow the guidelines issued by the United Nations. Tibetan communities should be meaningfully consulted on these projects, and their voices taken seriously, the article added.

IANS