Catastrophe closer to home: Assam flooded, Bagladesh swamped

Warmer Tibet can see Brahmaputra flood Assam

As global warming takes centre stage at international discussions, north-east India is faced with the prospect of its snow-fed rivers, including the Brahmaputra, going into spate due to faster melting of Himalayan glaciers.

Chinese scientists have warned that rising temperature in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau might result in faster melting of Himalayan glaciers and cause a larger inflow of water into the Brahmaputra. The warning highlights the need for greater co-operation among meteorologists and scientists from China and India.

The two countries have begun to take some tentative steps in that direction in recent months. Chinese scientists said the temperature in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, where the river originates as Yarlung Tsangpo, has risen by up to 0.42 C each decade since the 1980s.

According to China's National Meteorological Centre there is a close link between the rising temperature and the nearly 10% reduction in the plateau's snow cover in recent years. "Quicker melting of glaciers may also have the long-term impact of drying up the rivers in both India and China and trigger droughts," said Xu Xiangde, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences.