From Oct. 8 to 16, 2020, Academician Zhang Jianyun, NHRI Honorary President, led a scientific expedition team for rivers evolution and its potential impacts on the Tibet Plateau. The team was composed of NHRI researchers and PhD students, as well as researchers from Nanjing Automation Institute of Water Conservancy and Hydrology, Water Resources Department of Tibet Autonomous Region, and Hydrology and Water Resources Survey Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region. The team mainly focused on the survey of the underlying surfaces and river systems evolution for the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, as well as the paralleled flowing region of the Nujiang River, Lancang River, and Jinsha River.

With strong supports from the Task II Office of the 2^nd Comprehensive Scientific Investigation and Research on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Leading Group Office of the 2^nd Qinghai-Tibet Scientific Investigation of the Tibet Autonomous Region, as well as the governments of Tibet and Yunnan Province, regions and related local cities or prefectures, the scientific expedition team traveled more than 3000 km under the extremely cold and hypoxia environment of high altitude, covering Nyingchi City in Tibet, as well as Nujiang Lisu and Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures in Yunnan Province, and meandering along the dangerous roads. They successively inspected the mainstream of the lower Yarlung Zangbo River and its tributaries of the Niyang, Yigong Zangbo, Palong Zangbo and Chayu Rivers, as well as the Dulong River, Nujiang River, Lancang River and Jinsha River, and visited lakes, such as the Basongcuo, Gonghucuo and Ranwu Lakes, glaciers of Midui and Laigu, as well as important hydrological stations, such as Baheqiao, Nuxia, Dongjiu, Dexing, Xiachayu, Chayu, Gongshan, Liutongjiang and Benzilan. The team carried out in-situ surveys, including the measurement of flow velocity and topography, sample collection of water, soil and plants, underlying surfaces survey, hydro-meteorological data collection, and obtained valuable first-hand research data from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, lying a solid foundation for the progress of fundamental research on the changing environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its related social and economic impacts.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the roof of the world, the water tower of Asia, and the third pole of the earth, is an important ecological security barrier and a strategic resource reserve base for our country, as well as an important protection area of the Chinese culture. NHRI led the Task II of project the 2^nd Comprehensive Scientific Investigation and Research on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, namely, Rivers Evolution and Its Potential Impacts on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, aiming at the reveal of the fundamental theory of changes and evolution of the river systems in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and providing important scientific and technological support for the sustainable development of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region, efficient construction of national ecological civilization, and effective protection of global ecological environment.