Tibetan grasslands, one of the most important grazing ecosystems on the planet
Tibetan grasslands, one of the most important grazing ecosystems on the planet, are under unprecedented threat from climate change. Around the Yellow River, known as Machu in Tibetan, over ONE-THIRD of the grasslands have been transformed into semi-desert conditions.
The world’s grasslands hold around one fifth of the world’s soil carbon and are a source of livelihoods and food security for some one billion people worldwide.
Tibet is one of the world’s most important grassland ecosystems and they are degrading, at an alarming rate. But not because of traditional nomadic herding; Tibetan nomads play a critical role in managing grasslands and maintaining the soil carbon.
