The third pole with the Qinghai Tibet Plateau as the core, also known as the "Asian water tower", stores solid water in the world, which is second only to the north and south poles. It is the source of more than 10 rivers and thousands of lakes and lakes. It is related to the survival of nearly 2billion people. So, in the context of global climate change, what changes have taken place in the "Asian water tower"? What causes this change? How to deal with it? Chinese and foreign scientists engaged in the second Qinghai Tibet scientific research and the third polar environment research published their latest research results in the latest academic journal Nature, earth and environment review, which systematically expounded the imbalance of the "Asian water tower". This achievement found that the main characteristics of the imbalance of the "Asian water tower" are that the solid water is melting rapidly and the liquid water is increasing; In terms of space, the increase of liquid water is mainly in the northern inflow area, while the liquid water in some basins in the southern outflow area shows a decreasing trend. Academician yaotandong, the main author of the study and co chairman of the third pole environment (TPE) international program, said: "the imbalance of the 'Asian water tower' is a sign of significant changes in the third pole environment." Scientists analyzed in detail the reasons for the imbalance of the "Asian water tower". They believe that the rapid warming of the third pole climate has changed the inventory proportion of solid water such as "Asian water tower" glaciers and liquid water such as lakes and rivers. At the same time, the change of atmospheric circulation in the third pole region has also changed the spatial pattern of its inventory water bodies. According to the analysis of Gao Jing, the co-author of the study and researcher of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the strengthening of the westerly wind and the weakening of the Indian monsoon have led to an increase in precipitation in the northern inflow area and a decrease in precipitation in the southern outflow area of the "Asian water tower". Another co-author, Professor tobiasbolch of the University of St Andrews in the United Kingdom, believes that, in general, there is relatively little melted solid water in the northern inflow area of the "Asian water tower", but the stored liquid water is increasing; In the southern outflow area of the "Asian water tower", the situation is just opposite to the northern inflow area. This situation indicates that the contradiction between supply and demand of water will become increasingly serious. Professor walterimmerzeel, the co-author of this study and professor of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, analyzed that although the total water supply of the "Asian water tower" is expected to increase, the water demand in the southern outflow areas, such as the Indus and Ganges river basins, has increased sharply, far exceeding the increase of water supply. "In particular, local irrigation accounts for more than 90% of the water consumption in the whole region, with the largest agricultural irrigation area in the world.". This new achievement not only has important scientific and practical significance for regional water resources management and water security strategy, but also puts forward the future research direction of the "Asian water tower" - scientists agree that further in-depth research is needed from the four aspects of observation, simulation, special process and adaptation strategy to obtain more information to help the public and society cope with the changes of the "Asian water tower". (Xinhua News Agency)