Brook Larmer reports entitled the Big Melt for National Geographic in the April 2010 issue describes that glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau so called “the Third Pole”, “roof of the World”, "Asia's freshwater bank account" “high heart of Asia” give birth to Asia’s largest and most legendary rivers and have sustained ecosystems, inspired religions and nurtured civilizations throughout history. As the plateau heats up twice as fast as the global average, nearly a third of the world’s population dependent on these rivers is affected as the snow and ice diminish. Author Brook Larmer writes of a curious paradox created by the melting glaciers: Tibetan grasslands and wetlands deteriorate with less rain, while communities on the plateau’s southern edge see swelling rivers with frequent floods and landslides.