Headwaters of China’s longest river face hotter future

The headwaters of the Yangtze, China’s longest river, are expected to experience a warming and humidifying trend in the future, posing several challenges, according to Chinese researchers.

The information was revealed during a recent scientific expedition led by researchers in the headwater regions of the Yangtze and Lancang rivers in Qinghai Province, northwest China.

By the end of the 21st century, under moderate emissions scenarios, average temperatures in the Yangtze River Basin area could rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius, with a potential increase in precipitation of between 10 percent and 30 percent, said Qin Pengcheng, a senior engineer with the Yangtze River Basin Meteorological Center.