Glacier and Snow Cover Dynamics and Their Affecting Factors on the Pamir Plateau Section of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor

Yonglong Han, Yonghui Wang (), Xiaofei Ma () and Yanjun Shang
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Yonglong Han: College of Geographic Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China
Yonghui Wang: College of Geographic Science and Tourism, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830054, China
Xiaofei Ma: Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Utilization in Arid Zone, Urumqi 830011, China
Yanjun Shang: State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric and Environmental Coevolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: The China–Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC) traverses the ecologically fragile and geologically hazardous Pamir plateau (PP), where glacier dynamics are critical for water resources and ecological stability. This study analyzes glacier changes in the PP segment of CPEC from 2000 to 2022 using Google Earth engine (GEE) and an improved glacier and snow cover extraction method. Results show that before CPEC’s initiation (2000–2014), glacier area fluctuated with an annual increase of 422 km 2 , peaking in 2010. After 2015, glacier area declined continuously at 1000 km 2 per year, reaching a minimum in 2022. Snow cover also declined, especially post-2015. Glacier retreat was most severe in low-altitude regions, particularly in the eastern and southern PP, while higher altitudes (5000–7000 m) exhibited slower retreat. Climatic analysis reveals a strengthening negative correlation between temperature, evapotranspiration, and glacier area, indicating accelerated retreat due to global warming. These findings provide scientific support for ecological protection, water resource management, and geological hazard mitigation along CPEC.

Keywords: China–Pakistan economic corridor; Pamir plateau; glacier and snow cover dynamics; climate change; geological hazards (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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