Dharamshala, Oct. 10 -- A new report has highlighted the deepening ecological crisis in Tibet urging that Tibet must no longer remain the blind spot of global environmental governance. The study warns that the Tibetan Plateau-often referred to as the "Third Pole"-is warming at more than twice the global average. Released by the Stockholm Centre for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA) at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), the report reveals that Tibet's glaciers are retreating, permafrost is thawing, and grasslands are degrading, threatening the fragile water systems that sustain nearly two billion people across South and Southeast Asia. Titled "Wither Tibet in the Climate Crisis Agenda?", the study stresses that Tibet's ecological crisis is inseparable from governance and development choices. It notes that "China's state-centric model of infrastructure expansion, militarisation, and resource extraction has transformed one of the world's most fragile environments into a zone of extreme ecological stress." The publication, which brings together more than twenty international experts, examines the Tibetan Plateau's accelerating ecologicalbreakdown and its far reaching implications for Asia's water security, regional stability, and global climate governance. Among the study's urgent concerns is the massive hydropower expansion on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra). The proposed Medog mega dam, estimated at over USD 160 Billion, symbolises Beijing's ambition to convert Tibet into a hydropower superbase. Experts warn that the project poses severe risks of seismic disturbance, landslides, and irreversible damage to downstream ecosystems in India and Bangladesh. The absence of transparent impact assessments or data-sharing mechanisms, they caution, heightens fears thatwater resources could become tools of geopolitical leverage. Dechen Palmo, an environmental researcher at Dharamshala-based Tibet Policy Institute (TPI), who has also contributed to the report, said, "My contribution to this report aims to highlight how Tibet's rivers, often viewed merely as resources for energy development, are actually deeply connected to ecological stability, cultural continuity, and regional security. Through a Tibetan perspective, I wanted to shed light on the overlooked social and environmental costs of China's hydropower expansion in Tibet. Palmo, who specialises in Tibet's transboundary rivers, said, "The Medog dam, currently under construction at the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Nyingtri, is set to become the world's largest hydropower project. While China presents it as a cornerstone of its clean energy transition, the implications of the project are much more complex. Located in one of the most active seismic zones, the hydropower project poses serious risks, including earthquakes, landslides, river blockages, and catastrophic flooding." "Environmentally, this dam threatens to fragment Tibet's river system and disrupt the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. Socially, the Tibetan people are facing displacement and the loss of ancestral lands, with little consultation or transparency in the process. Additionally, the dam carries significant geopolitical implications, increasing water insecurity for downstream nations likeIndia and Bangladesh," Palmo added. The study highlights that despite its planetary importance, Tibet remains largely marginalised in global climate discussions, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and successive COP negotiations. As the world approaches COP 30, it has urged governments, research institutions, and civil society to place the Tibetan Plateau at the core of international climate policy. Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) spokesperson, Tenzin Lekshay, said, "China's enduring fear of political instability inside Tibet has increasingly fuelled its aggressive exploitation of Tibet's fragile ecosystem. The Tibetan Plateau now bears deep scars from unchecked development and relentless resource extraction, resulting in widespread ecological devastation. These environmental losses not only imperil Tibet's pristine ecology but also amplify the global climate crisis-an urgent challenge that demands immediate and concerted international action."...