Chang Jiang River Basin Rainfall in Average Year

A very distinct rainfall distribution is observed in the basin over the decades, with the headwaters in the west receiving very little rainfall and the western reaches the most. The pattern varies very little between the years , this is indicative of the terrain over which the river travels. As the glaciers of the Tibetan plateau are the river’s origin, it is the glacier rather than rainfall alone that is the source of the river. Additionally 7 tributaries enter the river as it flows towards the sea; adding to its volume. The river is susceptible to floods but also drought as in 2008 when the river level dropped by 14m due to low rainfall.