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Open in new tab There is a third pole on earth, and it’s melting quickly
When we think of the world’s Polar Regions, only two usually spring to mind –
the North and South. However, there is a region to the south of China and the north of
India that is known as the “Third Pole”. That’s because it is the third largest area of
frozen water on the planet. Although much smaller than its north and south
counterparts, it is still enormous, covering 100,000 square kilometres with some 46,000
glaciers. Scientists conducting research in the area have warned of disturbing global
warming trends, and how, if they continue, they could affect the lives of 1.3 billion
people.
The Earth’s north and south extremities are crucial for regulating the climate,
and at the same time are particularly sensitive to global warming. The Third Pole,
because it is high above sea level, is also sensitive to changes in temperatures. It
powers life for many thousands of miles. It is estimated that the water that flows from the
Third Pole supports 120 million people directly through irrigation systems, and a total of
1.3 billion indirectly through river basins in China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh
and Afghanistan. That’s nearly one fifth of the world’s population.
spring to mind : akla gelmek
counterparts : eşdeğer, denk, muadil
conduct : yapmak, yürütmek
crucial : önemli
regulate : düzenlemek
irrigation : sulama
