As we marked the final day of Earth Week this year, we were excited to have welcomed to our weekly Kora Dr. Yonten Nyima, leading human geographer of Tibet, to speak on “The Effects of Climate Change in a Post-Coronavirus Tibet.”
Born and raised in Nagchu, Tibet, Dr. Yonten Nyima la holds a PhD from the University of Colorado and has been a prominent scholar and outstanding researcher of environmental issues and Tibetan pastoralism for decades. Genla discussed current issues in Tibet driven by climate change, including the dramatic expansion of lakes, ecological resettlement of pastoralists, and the alarming phenomenon of new viruses being released from melting glaciers and the thawing of permafrost. For the young Tibetan researchers and scientists who attended — from Kathmandu and New Delhi to Finland, France and Arizona — it was a thought-provoking and deeply motivating exchange with someone who has pioneered new pathways for the next Tibetan generation to travel. Our sincere gratitude to Gen Yonten Nyima la for this Kora presentation, and his lifetime of passionate effort and steadfast dedication to those most vulnerable in the midst of all the turbulent changes. This week’s Kora was conducted in Tibetan. |