The Tibetan Plateau has become warmer in the past five decades compared to any period in the last 2,000 years, increasing the risks of natural disasters and causing glaciers to shrink, according to a new research.
The Tibetan Plateau, which sits at an average elevation of more than 4,500 metres, is expected to get hotter and more humid in the decades to come, said the report published by Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The plateau, whose glaciers supply water to millions of people in Asia, will become warmer and more humid over the course of the 21st century, it said.
The report said the permafrost coverage on the plateau, which is mainly located in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, will continue to shrink and desertification will get worse in areas, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Glaciers retreat could affect the supply of water to major Asian rivers that originate from the plateau, including the Brahmaputra.
Risks of natural disasters, including landslides and torrential floods, will increase on the plateau due to a warmer climate and increased human activities, according to the report.
The report said the plateau's ecosystem has been improving overall as both the temperate zone and forest coverage are expanding, while the degradation of wetland has eased since 2000.
It said the Tibetan regional government should work to reduce the negative impact of human activities on the environment and enhance its capability to predict disasters.
