Theconsequencesofglobalclimatechangepresentaseriousstrategicchallengeinoneofthemostremotepartsoftheworld.TheTibetanPlateauisthelargesthigh-altitudelandmassonearth,withmorethan45,000glaciersthatfeedthemajorriversystemsinAsia,which,inturn,support40percentoftheworld’spopulation.Temperaturesintheregionarerisingtwiceasfastastheglobalaverage,posingseriousriskstohydrologicalsystems,agriculture,andcriticalinfrastructure.Lookingatregionalcooperationthroughthelensofecologicalsecurityraisesimportantquestionsabouttheextenttowhichthethreatoflarge-scaleclimate-relateddisastercouldtriggernewformsofcooperativeaction.Thesoberingrealityisthatcurrentresponsesfallfarshortofensuringamutuallysecurefuture.
