Official figures released in March revealed that the Glacier sector of China has reduced 26% since 1960 due to rapid global warming, with 7,000 small glaciers completely disappeared and the glacial retreat has become intense.
According to a UNESCO report, glaciers worldwide are disappearing much faster than ever, the largest glacial mass los on records in the last three years.
Since important water towers keep shrinking, the low availability of freshwater is expected to contribute to greater competition for water resources, warning environmental groups. Glacier retreat also causes new disaster risk.
The glaciers of China are mainly located in the west and north of the country, in the regions of Tibet and Shinjiang, and the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Kinghai.
On March 21, data published on the website of Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of Chinese Academy of Sciences showed that China’s total glacier area was about 46,000 square kilometers, with around 69,000 glaciers in 2020.
The study showed that it is about 59,000 square kilometers and in China between 1960 and 1980 compared to about 46,000 glaciers.
To save its melting glaciers, China has used technology including ice blankets and artificial ice systems to delay the melting process.
The Tibetan plateau is known as the third pole in the world for the amount of ice locked in the high altitude forest.
Dramatic snow loss from Arctic to Alps from South America to Tibetan plateau is expected to accelerate as climate change, due to the burning of fossil fuels, the global temperature is more pushed.
The UNESCO report states that it will increase economic, environmental and social problems worldwide as the sea level rises and these major water sources decrease.
