Tibet's Glaciers at their Warmest in 2,000 Years

Tibet's glaciers were at their warmest in the last 50 years than at any stage in the past two millennia, according to a new report.

And this problematic warming is not likely to go away, as temperatures are on track to continue climbing throughout this century, causing glaciers to retreat and desertification to spread.

"Over the past 50 years, the rate of temperature rise has been double the average global level," the report, published by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, said, according to Reuters.

In May, Chinese scientists said Tibetan glaciers had shrunk 15 percent - around 8,000 square km (3,100 square miles) - over the past 30 years.

"This all used to be ice ten years ago," Jia Son, a Tibetan farmer, told National Geographic. "If our sacred glacier cannot survive, how can we?" he added.

Glaciers in the Tibetan plateau supply water for hundreds of millions of people in Asia, so naturally this glacial retreat puts this resource in jeopardy. It could also affect water levels of several of Asia's rivers, including China's Yellow and Yangtze, India's Brahmaputra, and the Mekong and Salween in Southeast Asia.

According to the report, a combination of climate change and human activity is also expected to cause an increase in floods and landslides, and possibly avalanches in the region. However, while the reduction in Tibetan glaciers is concerning, experts believe that the rising temperatures are boosting local ecosystems.

The scientists behind the report urged the government to work to reduce human impact on the region's fragile environment.

The report adds that by 2020, China will complete building dams and hydropower projects that will help the population in the future, Techsonia reported.

India also plans to start hydro plants projects alongside the Brahmaputra River. To increase the electricity production, India already has 100 proposed projects in line that are waiting to get approved.