CHINA: WORLD WILDLIFE FUND FOR NATURE (WWF) WARNS OF LOOMING CRISIS AS GLACIERS IN CHINA, NEPAL AND INDIA RAPIDLY MELT DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING

Record ID: 208454

  • Title: CHINA: WORLD WILDLIFE FUND FOR NATURE (WWF) WARNS OF LOOMING CRISIS AS GLACIERS IN CHINA, NEPAL AND INDIA RAPIDLY MELT DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING
  • Date: 14th March 2005
  • Summary: (BN9) YUNNAN PROVINCE, CHINA (FILE) (REUTERS) 1. GV: PRAYER FLAGS OVER MOUNTAIN AREA 0.06 2. GV: MOUNTAIN WITH TEMPLES IN TIBETAN AREA 0.11 3. CLOSER VIEW OF MOUNTAIN 0.17 4. WIDE OF HILL SIDE 0.23 5. RUNNING STREAM 0.27 (BN09) BEIJING, CHINA (MARCH 14, 2005) (REUTERS) 6. WORLD WILDLIFE FUND FOR NATURE BEIJING OFFICE SIGN 0.32 7. CU: WWF LOGO 0.37 8. DR SHEN YONGPING, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN LANZHOU AND ONE OF THE AUTHOR'S OF THE REPORT WORKING ON COMPUTER (2 SHOTS) 0.46 9. CU: COMPUTER SCREEN SHOWING CHANGES IN GLACIERS 0.51 10. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) DR SHEN YONGPING, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN LANZHOU AND ONE OF THE AUTHOR'S OF THE REPORT SAYING: "As the earth's temperature rises, even though it is the same climate change factors, for example, in other places the temperature will only increase 0.5 degrees, but in Qinghai will be 1 degree higher. It is because Qinghai is located at high altitude so it is more sensitive to climate change. This has a big effect on the glaciers." 1.19 11. REPORT BY WWF 1.24 12. VARIOUS OF SHOTS OF THE REPORT AND PICTURES IN THE REPORT (2 SHOTS) 1.34 13. WWF'S CLIMATE AND ENERGY PROGRAMME DIRECTOR, DR GAN LIN WORKING AT HIS DESK 1.39 14. CU: TOY PANDA 1.44 15. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) DR GAN LIN, WWF'S CLIMATE AND ENERGY PROGRAMME DIRECTOR, SAYING: "Local people's main income comes from agriculture, the reduction of water resources will reduce their harvests and will affect their income. They have no ways of earning money. They will also suffer other natural disasters such as floods. This could threaten their livelihoods." 2.12 16. GAN BEING INTERVIEWED 2.16 17. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) DR GAN SAYING: "China has set up plans to develop Western China. This is related to technological development. This will increase the need for water. Western China already lacks water. If this kind of large scale development goes on, it will reduce water resources. We hope the Chinese government will pay attention to climate change and its affect on water resources and the impact climate change will have on the lives of ordinary people. The Chinese government should pay attention to gradual regional development." 3.07 (BN09) YUNNAN PROVINCE, CHINA (FILE) (REUTERS) 18. GV'S: SNOW FALLING DOWN MOUNTAIN SIDE FROM GLACIER IN YUNNAN PROVINCE (5 SHOTS) 3.44 19. SV/CU: WATER RUNNING DOWN HILL (2 SHOTS) 3.55 20. VARIOUS OF WATER (2 SHOTS) 4.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 29th March 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIJING AND VARIOUS LOCATIONS, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Reuters ID: LVA7FUG5DXL95BTBA9T36OSU0UM
  • Story Text: World Wildlife Fund says fast melting Himalayan
    glaciers could pose a major water threat in South Asia.


    The World Wildlife Fund for Nature on Monday (March
    14) warned of a looming water crisis as glaciers in China,
    Nepal and India rapidly melt because of global warming.

    In a new report, WWF said Himalayan glaciers are
    retreating by 10-15 metres each year and, if the process is
    not stopped, water shortages could inflict hundreds of
    millions of people who rely on glacier-dependent rivers
    throughout the subcontinent and China.

    Dr Shen Yongping, one of the author's of the report, said
    in an interview in Beijing that global warming was
    having a greater impact on places like China's Qinghai
    provinces because of its high altitude.

    "As the earth's temperature rises, even though it is
    the same climate change factors, for example, in other
    places the temperature will only increase 0.5 degrees, but
    in Qinghai will be 1 degree higher. It is because Qinghai
    is located at high altitude so it is more sensitive to
    climate change. This has a big effect on the glaciers,"
    said Dr Shen Yongping.

    The report said rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers
    would first increase the volume of water in rivers causing
    widespread flooding.

    But in a few decades the situation would change with
    water levels in rivers declining - meaning massive economic
    and environmental problems for people in Western China,
    Nepal and Northern India.

    "Local people's main income comes from agriculture, the
    reduction of water resources will reduce their harvests and
    will affect their income. They have no ways of earning
    money. They will also suffer other natural disasters such
    as floods. This could threaten their livelihoods," said Dr
    Gan Lin of the WWF in China.

    The retreat of glaciers in China and India has already
    brought water shortages, more frequent flooding, retreating
    wetlands and unstable river systems.

    WWF urged the international community to take serious
    steps to slow the rate of global warming.

    "China has set up plans to develop Western China. This
    is related to technological development. This will increase
    the need for water. Western China already lacks water. If
    this kind of large scale development goes on, it will
    reduce water resources. We hope the Chinese government will
    pay attention to climate change and its affect on water
    resources and the impact climate change will have on the
    lives of ordinary people. The Chinese government should pay
    attention to gradual regional development," said Dr Gan.

    Himalayan glaciers feed into seven of Asia's greatest
    rivers -- ensuring a year-round water supply to hundreds of
    millions of people in the Indian subcontinent and China.

    As glacier water flows dwindle, the energy potential of
    hydroelectric power could decrease causing problems for
    industry, while reduced irrigation would mean lower crop
    production.

    Later this month, China is launching a scientific
    expedition to Mount Everest to re-measure the world's
    highest peak following a survey that showed it had shrunk
    by more than a metre because of global warming.


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