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Shri Ashtapad Maha Tirth - II
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a major part of Asia's water supply is dependent on the hydrological cycle related to the plateau and human impacts on it may have far ranging consequences,
the geological formation of the plateau formation, especially its uplift, is still an enigma. Presently, China experiences a tremendous economic development leading to more intensive landuse, affecting climate, and changing habitats of ecosystems, especially on the Tibetan Plateau. China is seeking international research collaborations and recent relaxation in logistic and bureaucratic restrictions in access and scientific work will strongly activate Tibetan Plateau research. During recent years, China and Germany have established close cooperation and bilateral research projects on various aspects of Tibetan Plateau research. The DFG, together with the CAS and other Chinese institutions, has systematically prepared the framework for future collaborative research projects and among others, the authors of this proposal have successfully tested this collaboration, together with their Chinese project partners, within two bundle projects since 2005. The proposed priority programme Tip is the consequential continuation of the Sino-German research policy. 4.1 Novelty Tackling interactions and feedbacks between tectonics, climate, ecosystems, and man within one interdisciplinary programme is a new approach in Tibetan Plateau research. Previous studies have focused on sectoral issues, an in-depth system understanding of the evolution of the Tibetan Plateau across time scales and disciplines has not yet been evolved or even been addressed.
Why should the priority programme Tip be implemented
and why should it be implemented now? The Tibetan Plateau is a key area of Earth system dynamics. However, we still lack a processbased quantitative understanding of the formation of the plateau, its impacts on the biosphere, and on the atmospheric circulation in the past and present. For the first time, technical and methodological progress in combination with recent political developments allow for the establishment of a major Sino-German research programme focusing on the Tibetan Plateau and on its role in Earth system dynamics. Tip is the first concerted, multidisciplinary and holistic approach dealing with processes, interactions and feedbacks of Tibetan Plateau uplift and the related evolution of climate and ecosystems, including the impact of man. A close and extensive Sino-German cooperation on Tibetan Plateau research has been systematically prepared on a long-run (see box "How Tip evolved"). The ITP was established with consultation of DFG and MPG for fostering international collaborative research programmes, where Germany is considered to be a key partner. The interdisciplinary cooperation of German researchers and research institutions has been successfully tested within two DFG project bundles (since 2005). The topic is presently an international competitive research field and Germany has now the
chance to take a leading position. The goal of Tip is to discern the role of the Tibetan Plateau as water tower for South and
Tibetan Plateau: Formation-Climate-Ecosystems
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