Climate change on the Tibetan plateau - audio slideshow

By Dilip -
Photojournalist Sean Gallagher talks about his latest project, Meltdown: climate change and environmental degradation on the Tibetan plateau, a series of photographs that capture melting glaciers, grassland degradation and the loss of Tibetan culture

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/interactive/2013/jun/10/climate-change-tibetan-plateau-audio-slideshow
The Tibetan Plateau covers approximately 25 percent of China’s surface area, spreading out over 2.5 million sq. km in the west of the country. It is home to the largest store of freshwater outside of the North and South Poles, feeding water into Asia’s major rivers which supply water to over a billion people.
As a result of anthropogenic climate change, temperatures are rising on the Tibetan Plateau faster than anywhere else in Asia. The effects of these changes are becoming more evident in the form of melting glaciers, increasing desertification and degraded grasslands.
Forced resettlement programs have been introduced to relocate tens of thousands of nomads who are blamed for contributing to the deterioration of the plateau. Increased mining operations near so-called protected areas also fuel degradation on the plateau creating conflicts between native Tibetans and Han Chinese.
This project highlights the major challenges associated with climate change and the resulting social issues that have appeared in recent years. The vivid transformations on the Tibetan Plateau have important ramifications not only for China, but also for the rest of Asia as climate patterns change across the continent and fragile communities are further threatened.
April 12, 2013

Sean Gallagher Photos Shown at Reception in Beijing

SEAN GALLAGHER
Photographs from Sean Gallagher's Pulitzer Center-supported project, "Meltdown," exhibited in Beijing on Saturday, April 20.
February 1, 2013

Photographing Climate Change on the Tibetan Plateau

SEAN GALLAGHER
Sean Gallagher discusses his approach to photographing issues related to climate change on the Tibetan Plateau.
January 17, 2013 / China Dialogue

Between the Glacier and the Dam: Life on the Tibetan Plateau

SEAN GALLAGHER
Sandwiched between a melting glacier and a new dam, residents of Heishui town in China's Sichuan province face a changing environment. Sean Gallagher's images, featured on the China Dialogue website.

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