(TibetanReview.net, Nov19’25) – China said Nov 19 that its second Qinghai-Tibet Plateau scientific expedition had yielded significant practical outcomes, with its top 10 application achievements officially released that day in Tibet’s capital Lhasa. China has been carrying out expeditions like this right since its annexation of Tibet, which enabled it to mark, map and unearth globally ranking reserves and varieties of minerals, rare earths and other resources.
Led by Yao Tandong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the achievements span critical areas including ecological conservation, disaster prevention, resource exploration, carbon accounting, traffic safety, and border area development, reported China’s official Xinhua news agency Nov 19.
While resource exploration was mentioned, the news report did not say what all those “top 10 application achievements” were. It did say, “Notable results include scientific support for legislation on plateau ecological protection, establishment of a platform for Earth observation and early warning, and innovative technologies for disaster prevention and control in permafrost regions, aiding major infrastructure projects like the Sichuan-Xizang Railway and expressways,” Xizang being China’s Sinicized name for Tibet.
Yao has confirmed that the Tibetan plateau is currently exhibiting a trend of warming, wetting and “greening” that amplifies both regional and global climate impacts. He has also said the water supply capacity of the “Asian Water Tower” has significantly risen, with runoff projections showing increases of up to 49% by the end of the century, crucial for water security for billions.”
The report said that since its launch in Aug 2017, the second expedition had mobilized over 3,000 research teams and more than 30,000 personnel, conducting comprehensive surveys across the entire plateau region.
China carried out its first comprehensive scientific expedition to the Tibetan Plateau from the beginning of 1973 to 1980.