Ancient murals and statues that have survived wars, vandalism, and extreme events such as #sandstorms and #earthquakes are now threatened by a new enemy: the #climatecrisis. Heavy downpours along the #SilkRoad, which runs through some of #China’s roughest terrain, are causing flash #floods and damaging cave #art in northwest China’s #Gansu province. The downpours, along with rising humidity, have caused #murals to flake and peel, and related flooding and mudslides have caused some caves to collapse, according to a Greenpeace East Asia report released on July 17. ‘Gansu is famous for its caves and the art stored inside them for centuries,’ said Li Zhao, a senior researcher in Greenpeace East Asia’s #Beijing office. ‘Increased bouts of rainfall in the desert pose an acute risk. Spikes in humidity, flash floods, and cave ins are already happening.’
Ancient murals and statues that have survived wars, vandalism, and extreme events such as #sandstorms and #earthquakes are now threatened by a new enemy: the #climatecrisis. Heavy downpours along the #SilkRoad, which runs through some of #China’s roughest terrain, are causing flash #floods and damaging cave #art in northwest China’s #Gansu province. The downpours, along with rising humidity, have caused #murals to flake and peel, and related flooding and mudslides have caused some caves to collapse, according to a Greenpeace East Asia report released on July 17. ‘Gansu is famous for its caves and the art stored inside them for centuries,’ said Li Zhao, a senior researcher in Greenpeace East Asia’s #Beijing office. ‘Increased bouts of rainfall in the desert pose an acute risk. Spikes in humidity, flash floods, and cave ins are already happening.’