根据一份地质勘测分析，被视为一个世界健康气压计的青海-西藏高原环境状况正在恶化，其主要原因是由全球变暖造成的。由中国航空物探遥感部门进行的这份调查显示，与30年前相比，高原出现了冰河在缩小，冰雪线在上升，湿地在减少和沙漠化更加严重等问题。占中国陆地近四分之一的青海-西藏高原延伸至西藏自治区，青海，四川，云南和新疆维吾尔自治区。青海-西藏高原是世界上最高，最年轻的高原，被誉称第三极，它也是亚洲许多河流的源头，如长江，黄河和澜沧江，由此它得了一个外号，叫做中国的水塔。中国地质勘测局的副主任张洪涛说，作为全球环境的温度计，青海-西藏高原任何环境变化是全球环境变化的一个反映。张说，这份调查运用了遥感器技术，目的是为了解高原的地理环境状况并帮助其未来的经济发展。遥感部门的高级工程师张洪涛说，全球变暖对高原的直接威胁我国谈水资源的减少，此外，如果沙漠化趋势得不到节制的话，我们将失去阻挡高原风沙的盾牌。张建议加快我国西部退耕还林工程，严格控制高原家畜养殖和采矿活动。张说，即使全球温度不会近一步变暖，研究人员估计，到2050年高原冰河区将缩小现有的72%，到2090缩小到50%。]

The environmental condition of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, seen as a barometer for the world's health, is worsening due in large part to global warming, according to a geological survey.

The survey, conducted by the Remote Sensing Department of the China Aero Geophysical Survey, showed the plateau has shrinking glaciers, a rising snow line, dwindling wetlands, and more serious desertification compared with 30 years ago.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which accounts for nearly one quarter of China's landmass, stretches into the Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

It is the highest and youngest plateau in the world and has been dubbed the third pole. It is also home to the source of many big rivers in Asia, such as the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers, giving it the nickname the water tower of China.

As the 'thermometer' of the global environment, any slight environmental change in the plateau is a reflection for the globe, said Zhang Hongtao, deputy director of the China Geological Survey.

The survey, which used remote sensor technology, is intended to provide an overview of the plateau's geological conditions and help its future economic development, Zhang said.

The direct harm is the threat of the loss of the country's fresh water resources, said Fang Hongbin, senior engineer at the Remote Sensing Department. Furthermore, we won't have any shield to protect ourselves from the sand blowing from the plateau if the desertification trend is not checked.

Fang suggested speeding up a project called return the land to green in the western part of the country, as well as strictly controlling the raising of livestock and mining activity on the plateau.

Even if the world's global climate does not continue to get warmer, researchers estimate the plateau's glacial areas will shrink to 72 per cent of the current area by 2050 and 50 per cent by 2090, Fang said.

The melting of the glaciers and snow has provided huge water resources for the plateau and its surrounding area and led to a temporary increase of wetlands and lakes in some regions, said Fang. But with the constant decrease of glaciers and the raising of the snow line, the total water reserve of the plateau keeps declining.

The glaciers on the plateau show an obvious trend of diminishing, especially on the edge of the plateau. The trend has gained momentum in recent years, the survey showed. The snow line on the edge of the plateau also saw drastic reduction, with an average retreating distance of 100 to 150 metres, with the largest being 350 metres.

Although the desert region of the area is just slightly changed, areas of medium and heavy desertification saw a huge increase, which means more desertification in the future