THE WATER RESOURCES OF THE QIANG-TANG PLATEAU AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND USE
羌塘高原水资源及其开发利用

The Qiang-tang Plateau is the main part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. . Its average height is more than 5,000 metres above sea-level and its total area covers 71.6,000 square kilometres,occupying 7.5% of the land area-of our country.The' whole 'plateau "is cold and dry and has "many lakes, glaciers, and rivers. It is the highest and newest large inland plateau in the world. Water is the lifeblood of the living creatures and plants on the plateau. It has about 23.615 billion cubic metres of water, including the surface runoff and the ground water. The average-modulus of water is 33,000 cubic metres/km2, but at present it is evaporated after flowing into the lakes. If we overdevelop -he runoff water resource, it will lead to the violation of law of water circulation and artificially accelerate the perishment of the lakes. So, in .order to solve the problem of water for industry and agriculture in the future, what we should do is to try every means" "to "reduce the evaporation and get hold of the water available. It is by way of this that our economy can be developed and the ecological balance of the plateau can be maintained.