Tibet's fragile environment is being damaged by a paucity of energy, as well as by pollutants and litter (see Nature 512, 240–241; 2014). Greater investment could unleash the region's huge potential to produce renewable energy.
Access to fossil fuels is extremely limited in Tibet, particularly in rural areas. Biomass — including manure, firewood and crop residues — is largely used instead, making up two-thirds of total energy use. However, this degrades forest and grassland and causes indoor pollution (see G. Liu et al. Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev. 12, 1890–1908; 2008).
Tibet has abundant resources for renewable energy (including solar, wind and geothermal) owing to its complex topography and widely varying climate (see L. Shen et al. Environ. Manage. 46, 539–554; 2010).
These resources remain mostly untapped, however, because of the high cost of exploitation, unevenly distributed settlements, lack of local infrastructure, and inadequate maintenance and knowledge.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, G., Lucas, M. Invest in renewable energy in Tibet. Nature 514, 35 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/514035d
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/514035d