Internal Scientific Survey Report by Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company Reveals Worsening Ecological Conditions in Tibetan Areas
On September 27, 2026, this outlet learned that an internal report on a joint scientific expedition conducted in Tibet in 2012 by the CCP's Qinghai-Tibet Railway Company and several other organizations shows that desertification is severe in areas along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, revealing that Tibet's ecological environment has suffered serious damage.
The report includes photographs taken by the expedition team in the field and states, “Since 2008, areas along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway have been hit by multiple sandstorms. In some areas, the accumulated sand comes from Cuo Rendega Lake in the upper reaches of the Chumar River (located in Zhiduo County, Yushu),” revealing that, as a result of damage to Tibet's ecological environment, the Chumar River in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River has already become desertified.
The report also reveals the dire reality that shifting sand has covered the Qinghai-Tibet railway line built by the CCP itself. Images show that the railway tracks have been buried by shifting sand, posing an unseen threat to the safety of trains traveling to Tibet. Moreover, the authorities' permafrost-protection facilities have all been rendered inoperable by the shifting sand.
Although the authorities have undertaken manual and mechanized sand removal and sand control, the results have been minimal.
The report concludes by calling for the establishment of a multidisciplinary team of experts to carry out work to control desertification on the plateau.
Image captions: 1. Shifting sand has flowed onto the Qinghai-Tibet railway line, covering the railway sleepers. 2 and 3: The authorities carry out manual and mechanized sand removal work
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