Qinghai-Tibet Plateau warming will bring serious problems, experts warn

People's Daily Online (China): The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is growing warmer and experts warn, if the trend continues, it will cause environmental deterioration and water shortages. "The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is among the regions worst hit by global warming. In turn, this will have a deleterious effect on global climate and also the livelihood of Asian people," said Qin Dahe, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), a former head of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA). He was also the first Chinese person to cross the South Pole.

The temperature in the Tibet Autonomous Region has risen by an average of 0.32 degrees Celsius every 10 years from 1961 to 2008, much higher than China's national warming rates of 0.05 to 0.08 degrees. Tibet's average temperature in July this year was the highest since 1951, according to CMA data.

Rain in western and southern Tibet lessened by between 30 to 80percent compared to the same period in previous years. "Due to global warming, glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are retreating extensively at a speed faster than in any other part of the world. In the short term, this will cause lakes to expand and bring floods and mudflows.

"In the long run, glaciers are vital lifelines for Asian rivers such as the Indus and the Ganges. Once they vanish, water supplies in those regions will in peril," Qin said….

Charlie fong released this image of a glacier in the Qinghai plateau into the public domain