Glacier melting has become a unique drought-resistant water source. Can it be effectively realized?

Glaciers melt and become a unique drought-resistant water source. Water supply is particularly important for food production, economy, hydropower and public health. In parts of Central Asia and South Asia, where the economy is more dependent on agriculture and animal husbandry, water supply still faces challenges. In addition, climate problems may further aggravate the water shortage in this area. However, a terrible water source is alleviating the drought problem in this area. This is glacial meltwater.

A recent scientific study published in the journal Nature shows that in Asia, periodic glacial meltwater can meet the basic tap water demand of about 200 million people, or the annual municipal engineering and industrial water demand of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and other countries. Perhaps, on the issue of glacier melting, we should not only pay attention to the risks brought by glacier melting, but also realize its role as an ecosystem service project.

About 800 million Asians depend on the meltwater of alpine glaciers to some extent. The shortage of water resources makes some areas vulnerable to drought, but glaciers are a unique drought-resistant water source. 、

Climate records show that the drought in this area is likely to last for many years, and it is likely to harm several countries at the same time. Drought is generally caused by a series of weak summer monsoon climate. When there is little precipitation, rivers, lakes, water control projects and soil layers gradually dry up, but glaciers can melt again in dry summer, so the supply of this melted water will not be harmed by dry temperature. This means that for some river sections, glaciers play a key role in resisting drought and maintaining water supply, while the middle and lower reaches are facing the pressure of water shortage.

In this scientific research, the amount of water released by Asian alpine glaciers every summer is measured. It consists of annual melting water and snowfall, plus additional water released by the closure of glaciers caused by global warming. The data show that the melting water of Asian alpine glaciers in summer is about 36 cubic kilometers, which is enough to meet the basic needs of 22 1 10,000 people, or to meet the needs of most big cities and industrial production in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Serbia and Kyrgyzstan this year. As we all know, because the glacier has been closed, this supply cannot be sustained. On average, the annual outflow of water from glaciers is 1.6 times that of new snow.

Without this glacier, the natural water supply in the upper and lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River will be reduced by as much as 15%, the power supply in the upper reaches of the Ganges River will be reduced by 14%, the upper and lower reaches of the Indian River will be reduced by half, and the lower reaches of the Aral Sea will be reduced by 95% in dry summer. This will make the population in the middle and lower reaches face the highest water pressure caused by drought, which is likely to cause serious instability in the relevant areas.

Therefore, scientific researchers pay attention to the role of glaciers in ecosystem services.

Ecosystem service engineering refers to the rights and interests that human society obtains from the water resources provided by glaciers. The economic and social development of this area is particularly vulnerable to the shortage of water resources. When the power supply is insufficient, water suddenly becomes more and more expensive. The resulting work pressure has increased the risks and contradictions of immigrant investment, especially in areas where cross-border e-commerce enjoys many resources and water sources, such as Afghanistan, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Serbia, where 29%~97% of power supply depends on cross-border e-commerce rivers, which is more prone to tension. The real use value of the glacier service project is to protect everyone in this area from all kinds of serious hazards caused by drought.