Megoe Tso

Mugecuo lake, known to local Tibetans as Yeti lake, remains one of China's few untainted ecological treasures. Situated in the Ganzi Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Sichuan province, it is surrounded by other pristine glacial lakes, primeval forests, and hot springs. The area is home to more than 1,000 species of rare tropical plants and 2,000 varieties of animals and birds. But this unspoiled land has been targeted for a hydroelectric dam project, pitting Huaneng Power International - China's largest independent power producer, headed by the son of former premier Li Peng - agains

A controversial dam project on a sacred lake in eastern Tibet has been scrapped by the Chinese authorities following concerns expressed by local Tibetans and Chinese environmentalists. "The decision on the Megoe Tso dam is a rare example of the government paying attention to local people’s concerns about the impact of major development projects in Tibetan areas," said Tashi Tsering, a specialist on the Tibetan environment at the University of British Columbia. "We are inspired by the exemplary efforts of the courageous local Tibetans and Chinese environmentalists who have

This report by the Tibet Justice Center reviews the Chinese government’s plans to build a dam on eastern Tibet’s most sacred lake, Megoe Tso. In addition to being [spiritually] precious to the local population, Megoe Tso is also an important site for ecologists, geologists and plant and animal conservationists. It is the largest lake in the "mountains of southwest China," a region identified by Conservation International as one of world’s biodiversity "hotspots" – the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plants and animals on Earth. Unfortunately, experts w