Activities carried out by EDD in 1997


Report by Ngawang Gyaltsen*

January: "Our Place", an environmental education project, was started by Environment and Development Desk (EDD) and the Environment Club of Lower Tibetan Children's Village (TCV) School, Dharamsala in association with the Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) of Australia. Schools from over 20 countries were connected through the INTERNET to exchange information about their environment. The project lasted for six months. It provided a good opportunity for the Tibetan students to share information about Tibet's ecology and study the environment of their school.

February: During Monlam Chenmo (The Great Prayer Festival) and teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Thekchen Choeling, Mcleod Ganj, EDD carried out 15 day environmental education and clean-up campaign in collaboration with volunteers from monasteries and nunneries in Dharamsala.

April: A six day (21-26) Environmental Education Workshop was conducted in association with WWF-India and Teacher Training Centre (TTC) of TCV school in Dharamsala. 47 Tibetan Teachers from various branches of Tibetan Children's Village school took part in the workshop. This workshop was sponsored by Trans Himalayan Aid Society (TRAS), Canada. The teachers will act as catalysts in setting up Nature Clubs in their respective schools to impart environmental education to school children.

On the International Earth Day celebration, (April 22) Mr. Tsultrim Palden Dekhang, Head of the EDD, delivered a talk to more than 600 students of Upper TCV school on the importance of environmental awareness among Tibetans. The talk was followed by a slide show on wildlife of Tibet and a question and answer session. EDD sponsored an on the spot painting contest on the same day among the classes of the school. School children actively participated and they enjoyed the new found recreation. The winners were awarded prizes.

June 5: World Environment Day was observed in Mcleod Ganj by EDD, Tibetan Welfare Office, and some local NGOs. There was a whole day program starting with a street demonstration in the morning. There were booths, a skit competition, resource talks, poem reading and other activities to educate people about taking care of the Mother Earth. A video and a slide show on the environment was also organised to create awareness among the public.

July: To commemorate the 62nd Birth Anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, an open flower show-cum-contest was organised at Thekchen Choeling on 6th July in collaboration with the Tibetan Welfare Office, Indo-Tibetan Friendship Association, Himachal Environment and Landscape Protection Society and other local NGOs.

August: A talk on the importance of environmental protection was given by Mr. Tsultrim Palden Dekhang at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics at Sarah. The talk was highlighted with a slide show on Tibet's environment.

A resource talk on the relationship between Environment and Buddhism was organised at Upper TCV school hall on 19th by inviting Rev. Kalsang Damdul, the Vice Director of Institute of Buddhist Dialectics. The talk was followed by a question and answer session. This resource talk was repeated at Lower TCV school.

EDD organised an environment quiz competition among the four houses of Upper TCV school on 20th. The quiz covered environmental themes related to Tibet, as well as global and local environment issues. The same quiz competition was held on 27th at Lower TCV school among the four houses. All the houses were awarded cash prizes and the student participants received books on environment.

September: An environmental exhibition on Tibet and Dharamsala was organised for two days. It started on 2nd September (Tibetan Democracy Day) at Thekchen Choeling, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala. The exhibition was organised with the Tibetan Welfare Office, Mcleod Ganj.

A three day recycling training and demonstration workshop was organised from 3rd to 5th for 12 community leaders. Participants represented monasteries, nunneries, schools and other Tibetan institutions in Dharamsala.

October: An open tri-lingual (Tibetan, Hindi, and English) essay contest among the populace of Dharamsala was started on 16th July. Mr. Tempa Tsering, Secretary of the Department of Information & International Relations, distributed the prizes during the anniversary of Tibetan Children's Village school. The best essay was published in the local English newspaper Trigart Times to educate the public about the ecology of Dharamsala.

November: Through the effort of Mr. Tseten Samdup of the Office of Tibet, London, a World Wide Web (WWW) page on Tibet's environment was established, from where millions of people across the world can access information. Every issue of Green Tibet annual newsletter is entered onto this website to reach millions of people via the INTERNET.

December: A six month pilot environmental project started in July in the Tibetan settlement, Tezu was completed. The project activities included planting of fruits, fuel and shade trees, which numbered over 1000, setting up kitchen gardens and conducting clean-up activities in the settlement.

An appeal letter was sent to the Prime Minister of India and President of China requesting them to stop China's plan of diverting the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra river) into the desert region of Lop Nor through nuclear explosion.


Publications of EDD

Green Tibet Annual Newsletter 1997

Tibet's environment: A crucial Issue

Endangered Species of Tibet (French)

Postcards and cards on endangered species of Tibet


Forthcoming publications

Green Tibet Annual Newsletter 1998

Tibet: Environment & Development Issues 1999

Tibet's Environment: A Crucial Issue ( new edition)

Environmental education comic (in Tibetan)

Cards on endangered species of Tibet (re-print)


Forthcoming projects

Agroforestry and Environmental Training for 15 Tibetans in Auroville, south India 1999

School Health and Environmental Education Project (SHEEP) in 1999

Setting up Nature Clubs in Tibetan schools

Updating database on development projects in Tibet


*Mr. Ngawang Gyaltsen was the former project officer of EDD.

He has been transferred to the Private office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

[ Homepage ] [ Environmental Situation ] [ Green Tibet 1998 ]



This site is maintained and updated by The Office of Tibet, the official agency of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in London. This Web page may be linked to any other Web sites. Contents may not be altered.
Last updated: 9-Oct-1998