Question: Which of the following area on earth is known as Third Pole?
(a)Iceland
(b)Greenland
(c)The Himalaya-Hindu Kush range and Tibetan plateau
(d)Rocky and Andes
Answer :(c)
Related facts:
- The region that encompasses the Himalaya- Hindu Kush mountain range and the Tibetan plateau is widely known as the Third Pole because its ice field contains the largest reserve of fresh water outside the polar region. In this polar region 10 of Asia’s largest rivers, including the Yellow and Yangtze river (China), the Irrawaddy (Myanmar), the Ganges and the Mekong have their origin.
- This region is the source of the 10 major river system that provide irrigation, power, and drinking water for over 1.3 billion people in Asia through river basins in China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. This is nearly 20% of the world’s population.
- These water resources play an important role in global atmospheric circulation, biodiversity, rain-fed and irrigated agriculture and hydropower.
- With climate change we are witnessing a rapid decline in glaciers which cause massive repercussions to livelihoods downstream. 509 small glaciers disappeared in the past 50 yearsand even the biggest ones are shrinking rapidly.
- Climate change is a global challenge. But the impacts are local of this menace. First effects were seen in polar region of Svalbard.
Links:
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/Trouble-at-Third-Pole/article16886001.ece