Ellen Liu
China Tibet Online
May 26, 2015
The temperature of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has risen, rainfall increased, glaciers retreated, and frozen earth melted over the last decade – largely due to climate change. As a result, its air, originally cold and dry, has been humidified, according to the Economic Information Newspaper.
Research from the Qinghai-Tibet Research Institute at the China Academy of Social Sciences shows that over the past 30 years, the glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its surrounding areas have shrunk by 15 percent, decreasing from 53,000 square kilometers to 45,000 square kilometers. Among them, the Puruo Gangri Glaciers – the third largest grouping in the world – has retreated by 50 meters, and the Qomolangma Glaciers have shrunk by 10 percent over the past 40 years. Meanwhile, frozen earth on the Plateau has been reduced by 16 percent from 1.5 million square kilometers to 1.26 square kilometers. Over the past 50 years, the depth of frozen earth has diminished by 12 centimeters every 10 years in Sanjiangyuan, or the waterheads of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers (Mekong in the downstream). Experts estimate that by 2100, the temperature of the entire Sanjiangyuan area will go up by 3 centigrade. Frozen earth masses will disappear at a rate of 19 percent with every increase of 1.1 centigrade in the average temperature.
Kang Shichang, researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Qomolangma Glaciers Exploration Team, says that melted glaciers from the Plateau have increased the area of its surface water, which will add to the stream flow of its rivers. However, if this phenomenon continues, it will break the balance of water resources in rivers as well as the hydrological cycle in East Asia, and threaten water security in the region. He also stressed that once part of the glaciers dies out and its area shrinks, the runoff in the lower reaches will diminish gradually, which will bring about drought and desertification. All of these possible outcomes will prevent the local economy and society from developing in a sustainable way.
In May the Chinese government published its “Opinion on accelerating construction of ecological civilization” – a guideline on preserving and improving China’s natural ecology in order to speed up the construction of the ecological security barrier for the present and the future.
Experts suggest that research on glacier lakes monitoring and assessment be strengthened to find a way to reduce losses from possible flood outbursts onto the surrounding areas.
According to Du Jun, vice chairman of Tibet Climate Monitoring Center, energy may be the solution. New energy, renewable energy and energy conserving technologies should be developed vigorously. Outdated and high energy consumption equipment should be phased out. Controlling the sources of air pollution and land desertification should be greatly strengthened. And public awareness on the need to preserve Tibet’s glaciers should be raised across the country, especially within the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province.
The humidified Qinghai-Tibet Plateau results from climate change and is related to the sustainable development of the earth. Experts say that China should take advantage of the U.N. Assembly and United Nations Climate Change Conference to inform the world of the impact of climate change on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as well as draw attention to the country’s consistent efforts to protect its ecology. They also say China should call for more international cooperation and strive for additional funds from international organizations for research on the humidification of the Plateau.
