Ecological Planning in Tibet by Andrea Traber I still marvel at my good fortune, or perhaps karma, at having the opportunity to work in Tibet on two occasions. My first trip was in 2001 while I was still working with Van der Ryn Architects. Then, Sim and I made a trip to Shigatse, Tibet, to master plan an ecovillage, as part of a larger park development. This second trip in August 2004 was to Tedrum Village, about 3 hours east of Lhasa, on a good travel day. This time our team included Jeff Oldham, of Real Goods, a renewable power consultant, and Patrick Curran of SWA for watershed and landscape planning. Leaving Lhasa, heading east to Tedrum, I'm struck again by the rugged beauty of the land and the boundless warmth and compassion of the Tibetan people. Working with an American non-profit organization, The Mountain Institute / Peak Enterprise Program focuses on assisting the people in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China develop a sustainable economic future through sector development and business initiatives that build on traditional livelihoods and appreciation of Tibet's rich natural and cultural heritage. Previously, TMI has implemented ecological restoration programs in this valley, and have successfully established other local economic development models throughout Tibet and Nepal. As we reach Tedrum Village, which is about 14,000 ft. above sea level, I recognize that this is one of the most pristine places left on earth. The river still runs clear and fresh and the water is safe to drink, at least above the village. We're only about 500 ft. below the headwaters, where there are ancient and rare species of plants and animals, and the ever present yak. There are about 250 nuns living here today, carrying on this Buddhist tradition of over 800 years. It is an extremely sacred area and is blessed with natural healing hot springs, one of the main attractions to this region. Considering the 8 centuries of habitation, the buildings and landscape are in amazingly good condition, though also in extreme need of repair. We arrive in Tedrum 3 days after a pilgrimage that has brought 100,000 visitors to this village. This event occurs every 12 years, as this is one of twelve sacred sites in Tibet corresponding with the annual religious celebrations. We immediately notice the impacts of garbage&emdash;a western invention&emdash;on remote areas. Heretofore, there was no need for garbage containers or recycling because there was no packaging. It's a struggle for these areas to keep up with the refuse and a dilemma about how to deal with it. They do a fairly good job of recycling because the items that can be recycled are viewed as a resource, but tossing garbage in the river, or burning or burying the non-recyclables seem to be the main options. TMI practices participatory planning in all of their programs, and they've done an excellent job gathering programming information and preparing the local community for the work to be done. We spend a day meeting with the village and hiking the many hectares, investigating opportunities for renewable power generation, determining areas that can be "developed" and those that should not be, and understanding the negative impacts of some of the modern, well-intentioned development that has occurred. And it's a good thing we brought lots of measuring tapes and a GPS system, as surveys are hard to come by in this area of the world! This village is bounded by two rushing rivers that flow all year long through a lush valley. Our initial inspiration for this beautiful site is to keep the existing community intact, that is, not to introduce development into the core of the nunnery village, and to keep all new development "light on the land." We are following principles of watershed planning to keep the valley healthy. This involves landscape guidelines for the riparian corridors and erosion control guidelines. Tourism will be handled by clusters of traditional Tibetan tents on permanent raised platforms in 2 upland sites. The tents will be operated by the nunnery providing a source of income at a reasonable rate for foreign travelers. There will be local bathing facilities at the tent sites on modern septic systems. Tents will be powered by individual 40 watt photovoltaic panels. In an area near the river, which has been built up poorly, we recommended removing the existing buildings and sanitation facilities (this term is very generous!), and rebuilding a river terrace with guest and retreat facilities with traditional Tibetan architectural forms. New buildings will incorporate green building materials and systems, and are designed to be energy efficient. We are recommending a community scaled and operated micro-hydropower system, which is easier to maintain, less costly and cleaner than solar power for this region. A future phase includes a small hotel on another upland site, near the road. Cars will be kept out of the core and visitors will get around on foot. This trip was a cultural awakening for all of us. It's not often that we get to experience first hand living conditions reminiscent of centuries ago, coupled with modern dilemmas. It was clear to us that the Tibetans are very in touch with their land and have a deep understanding of living sustainably. It is our hope that we can help them thrive into the future. |
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Newsletter | May/Jun 2005