TPP Programs
TPP's programs assist activists, researchers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with obtaining information and mobilizing support for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Tibetan Plateau region through grassroots organizing, research and education.
A principal focus of TPP's work is the conservation of endangered species of animals and plants indigenous to the Tibetan Plateau region. Among TPP's current objectives is a campaign to increase protection for the Tibetan antelope, which is being hunted to near extinction for its valuable wool, called "shatoosh."
The antelope is native to the Tibetan Plateau region of Western China. Experts estimate that the remaining antelope number less than 75,000 -- a population that is rapidly declining, principally due to poaching for shatoosh. At least three animals must be killed to create just one shatoosh shawl measuring one by two meters. Although reports vary, at least 4,000 and perhaps as many as 20,000 antelope are illegally hunted in the region every year. Nature reserves and wildlife agencies are too understaffed to effectively prevent the killing.
Shatoosh shawls are considered the finest and warmest in the world. International demand has risen alarmingly since the 1980s, when shatoosh became more popular in Asia and an increasingly favored fashion item in Europe, the US and Australia.
Shatoosh products are manufactured in India, where they may sell for $1,000-$2,000, but in the U.S. and Europe they can bring as much as $10,000-$15000 or more apiece. While the total output of the shatoosh manufacturing industry is still unknown, it clearly contributes to the deaths of thousands of antelope annually.
TPP's campaign to save the Tibetan antelope
includes:
- Advocating a proposal that the US Fish and Wildlife Service classify the antelope as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act
- Coordinating data collection on the conservation of the Tibetan antelope and the shahtoosh trade with organizations in India, China and Nepal
- Educating the public and retailers about the adverse impacts of the shatoosh trade and alternatives to shahtoosh, such as "shahmina" and pashmina products
TPP initiated its programs to protect Tibetan Plateau wildlife species with a 1993 campaign to safeguard the argali, a wild Asian sheep, through provisions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act that prohibit the import of "trophies" shot by big game hunters. The argali is rare throughout much of its range in nine Asian nations due to hunting and
habitat destruction. TPP was instrumental in pressuring the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service to designate Tibetan Plateau argali as endangered. Regulations now prohibit American hunters from importing these argali trophies into the U.S.
TPP is currently working to tighten U.S. regulations to prohibit the importation of argali shot by American hunters in Mongolia and the former Soviet republics. TPP also conducts research and compiles information on a variety of other endangered species native to the Tibetan Plateau region.
Tibetan medicine is a 1,500-year old tradition that makes extensive use of plant and animal resources for healing. The Tibetan Plateau region supports
approximately 10,000 species of plants and an estimated 1,000 of them have
established medicinal properties. In the Annapurna region of Nepal alone, more
than 300 plants are used in traditional medicine by rural communities to promote healing and counter disease. However, an unknown number of these plants is already threatened by habitat destruction and inadequate conservation policies. Overgrazing, deforestation and excessive collection are among the principal threats to many species of medicinal plants in the Tibetan Plateau region.
Working in coordination with botanical experts, field researchers, Tibetan medical practitioners and concerned activists, TPP is:
- Researching the status of endangered medicinal plants species used in Tibetan medicine
- Compiling information on experts and programs focusing on medicinal plant conservation in the Tibetan Plateau region
- Facilitating the exchange of information on the links between medicinal plant conservation and Tibetan medicine
TPP sponsors a regular newsletter on the topic of medicinal plant conservation and the practice of Tibetan medicine, as well as an Internet email discussion list. Subscription to the newsletter and the discussion list -- called "tpp-tibmed-plants" -- are open to anyone interested in the topic and will be free until the end of the year. Beginning in 2000, they will only be offered as a benefit of regular membership with Tibetan Plateau Project.
You can subscribe to "tpp-tibmed-plants" by sending an email message to
TPP at: tppei@earthisland.org
with the phrase "subscribe tpp-tibmed-plants" in the body of the
message. TPP will send you a subscription form to enroll you in the email list.
TPP acts as an information clearinghouse to respond to inquiries, provide
background, and raise international awareness regarding environment and
sustainable development issues and opportunities in the Tibetan Plateau region. The Project has catalogued more than 500 organizational, academic and individual contacts worldwide that are active or interested in the region. TPP also maintains a bibliography of over 350 articles, books and periodicals covering relevant issues. These databases enable project staff to both track and provide information to the public on a variety of topics. In addition, TPP participates in international networks of organizations monitoring large-scale development projects in the region.
TPP volunteers assist with research, writing, fundraising and administrative tasks. Stipends are not offered, but academic credit may be available. For more information regarding current volunteer opportunities, email TPP at: tppei@earthisland.org.
At this time, TPP does not place volunteers in Asia or coordinate with
other overseas programs.
Photos by Galen Rowell/Mountain Light Photography. 
