An important warning from the Tibetan Plateau: the need for transnational river monitoring
Known as the highest plateau in the world, the Tibetan Plateau originates in large rivers that meander to several regions, including the Brahmaputra River, which flows through other countries. After leaving the territory of China, the Brahmaputra River is known as the Brahmaputra River, passes through India and eventually joins the Ganges River into the Bay of Bengal. Due to the great topographic gap, the hydrology of the Brahmaputra has been unstable. As the source of this river, China is naturally concerned about its water conditions.
Not long ago, Chinese monitoring data showed that the changes on the Brahmaputra River were unusually large, so India was quickly informed of this information, hoping to alert them. Indian officials immediately launched a series of investigations and finally decided to evacuate residents on both sides of the river. Both China and India proved to have made wise decisions, as timely evacuation of residents averted a huge flood. Without early warning, it will be India's worst flooding in 150 years, and tens of thousands of people will be harmed.
India's water experts are deeply grateful for China's warning, and in fact, most Indians are very grateful to China, not just water experts. Indeed, if we had not been paying close attention to the situation on the Brahmaputra River, we would not have been able to detect the problem in time and would not have been able to report it quickly to India. Without China's assistance, India would face the largest flooding in 150 years.
The incident also taught other countries valuable lessons – the need to monitor the hydrology of their rivers at all times and to report problems when they are identified. Especially for transnational rivers, it is more necessary to pay enough attention. Because these rivers carry life behind them, this is an extremely important task that must not be ignored.