Water supply for agriculture and industry along the Silk Road (Hexi Corridor,Gansu, China)

Gansu suffers from a long, severe winter (average Januar temperature in Jiuquan-9,7° C, July 21,8° C) and enjoys a hot summer; only 80–130 mm of rain falls on the Silk Road. About the precipitation in the Qilian montains, different altitude gradients are discussed. The glaciers and the ground water are huge reservoirs, but greenhouse effect and excessive pumping mobilize more water for consumption, than is replaced by precipitation.