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China's glacier surface has shrunk by 26% in six decades

China's glacier surface has shrunk by 26% in six decades

Official data released in march showed that China's glacier areas have shrunk 26% due to global warming. 7,000 small glaciers have disappeared completely, and the glacial retreat has intensified in recent years.

According to a UNESCO study, glaciers are disappearing more quickly than ever. The largest glacial mass losses on record occurred in the past three years.

Environmental groups warn that the shrinking of important water towers will lead to a greater competition over water resources. The retreat of the glaciers also presents new disaster risks.

China's glaciers can be found mainly in the north and west of the country. They are in Tibet, Xinjiang and in the provinces Sichuan and Yunnan.

According to data published on the website of China's Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources on March 21, the total area of China's glaciers is around 46,000 square kilometers, with approximately 69,000 glaciers by 2020.

The study found that between 1960 and 1980 in China, there were around 59,000 square kilometers and 46,000 glaciers.

China uses artificial snow systems and snow blankets to slow down the melting of its glaciers.

For the vast amount of ice that has been trapped in this high-altitude wilderness, the Tibetan plateau is called the Third Pole.

Climate change caused by fossil fuel burning will likely accelerate the dramatic ice melt from the Arctic to Alps and from South America to Tibet Plateau.

The UNESCO report stated that this would likely exacerbate social, economic and environmental problems around the world, as sea levels increase and these important water sources diminish.

(source: Reuters)