Qinghai Lake continues expansion, posing new challenges in NW China

XINING -- Qinghai Lake, China's largest inland saltwater lake, has seen rising water level and expanded water area for 20 consecutive years, posing ecological and other challenges, Chinese ecologists said.

"In 2024 alone, the lake expanded by 28 square kilometers," said Ma Ping, director of the ecological protection and restoration department of the Qinghai Lake scenic area protection and management administration.

The lake's water level has been rising at an average rate of over 20 centimeters per year, now surpassing an elevation of 3,196 meters above the sea level.

Satellite data obtained in September 2024 shows that Qinghai Lake's water body spans 4,650.08 square kilometers, marking a 0.6 percent increase year-on-year and sustaining two decades of continuous expansion since 2004.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the world's Third Pole and the Asian Water Tower, is home to numerous inland lakes. Located in Qinghai province, Qinghai Lake is one of the world's highest plateau lakes and plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological security in northwest China.

A milky white statue of a goddess that once stood by the lakeshore is now partially submerged in the rising waters.

"The statue stands seven meters tall. When it was first built, the water level was about two meters lower than its base. It used to be a popular photography spot to capture the lake's scenery," said Chen Dehui, deputy chief of the administration.

MAJOR FACTORS

Experts believe that conservation efforts and climate changes are among major factors behind the sustained expansion of the lake.

The water level of the lake had been actually dropping since monitoring began in 1955. The trend reversed in 2004.

Years of conservation efforts have significantly improved the lake area's water and soil conservation capabilities. The areas of sandy, bare and saline-alkali lands around the lake have been declining, and the vegetation coverage rate has risen to 63 percent, according to Ma Ping.

Liu Qingchun, head of the Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve, noted that intensified global warming and the increasing humidity of the plateau have contributed to the continued rising water level of the Lake.

He explained that upstream rivers are feeding more water into the lake, accompanied by increased water supplies from spring water resources beneath the lake and natural precipitation.

Statistics show that the average precipitation in the lake basin stood at 413 mm in 2023, which was 6.9 percent higher than the previous year.

NEW CHALLENGES

The advancing shoreline of the lake is posing new challenges. The houses of some local farmers and herdsmen have been submerged. The rising water level also threatens several waterfowl habitats and breeding grounds, as well as the habitat of the Przewalski's gazelle, an endangered antelope species.

In 2022, China approved a plan to establish a national park at Qinghai Lake. An area of 10,400 square kilometers has been designated preliminarily.

Local ecologists believe that the establishment of the national park will help address new ecological challenges and provide better protection for the ecosystem.