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Glaciers

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Where the rivers originate…total river basin area: Above 5 M. Sq. Km

The Water Tower/ Reservoir of Asia

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013 Image©: EDD

MORE THAN 46,000 GLACIERS

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Major Tibetan Rivers:

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Drichu (Yangtse) Machu (Yellow) Zachu (Mekong)Gyalmo Ngulchu (Salween),Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra),Singhe Khabab (Indus)Langchen Khabab – SutlejBhumchu – ArunLhodrak Sharchu – ManasMacha Khabab – Karnali - Ganga

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Glacial Retreat on the TIBETAN PLATEAU

(NASA, 2010). ....20 percent of Tibetan glaciers have retreated in the past 40 years and if the current trend continues, more than 60 percent of the existing glaciers could be gone in the next 40 years

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Climate Warming: Drying the head regions of Major Rivers

Eastern Tibet: Head Region of the Machu (Yellow River)

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ICIMOD: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Drichu- Yangtse

MAP©: EDD 8

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Mt. Thangla

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Drichu/ Yangtse Tibet & China

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Machu –Yellow River

MAP©: EDD 10

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Machu/ Yellow River

Amdo Bayanhari Mt.

Tibet, Inner Mongolia& China

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(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Zachu -Mekong

MAP©: EDD 12

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

China, Burma, Laos,Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam

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ZACHU/ MEKONG RIVER

Supports 70 million people from Tibet to Vietnam.

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Gyalmo Ngulchu -Salween

MAP©: EDD 14

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Tibet

China

Burma

Thailand

Gyalmo Ngulchu (Salween River)

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Yarlung Tsangpo - Brahmaputra

MAP©: EDD 16

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Yarlung Tsangpo/ Brahmaputra

Tibet, India & Bangladesh

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(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Singe Khabab -Indus

MAP©: EDD 18

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Indus in Pakistan

TIBET INDIA Pakistan

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Exploiting Water Resources

Images©: EDD

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More than 5.6 million km2

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Ngari (Ali) Dam ‘or’ Indus Dam

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6400 KW & cost > 425 MillionYuan

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Ngari (Ali) Dam ‘or’ Indus Dam

Source: Google Earth

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(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Yamdrok Tso Project

Work began on 1991 and complete in 2000It costs 600 million Yuan It is not recorded how many people have benefited from the power generated from this project

(Tibetan Plateau ‘s Environment ) 2013

Yamdrok Yumtso Hydropower Plant