Yellow River at Risk

The Yellow River source region, about 45,000 km² in area, is generally defined as the riverhead area above the Darlag hydrological station and covering Madoi County, Darlag County, Maqen county and part of Gade county in Qinghai province. As the birthplace and 'water tower' of the great watercourse, the region plays a vital role in regulating the water volume in the Yellow River. Changes in the stream discharges of the Yellow River source region directly affect the water resources of the middle and lower reaches of the river. In recent years, due to climate change, the glaciers, permafrost, lakes and wetlands, and the hydrological and ecological environments in this region have undergone dramatic changes that have far-reaching implications for the economic and social conditions of people's lives not only in the source region itself, but also in the middle and low reaches of the Yellow River.