The river source research will face climate and geographical challenges, including low oxygen levels. Roads are rudimentary and the expedition team members will work at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. The route covers the two source water systems of the Yangtze and the Lancang rivers.

This scientific expedition takes glacial water lakes as the starting point to explore the relationship between glacial changes and lake water volume. Glaciers store a large amount of water and are one of the supply sources for many rivers and lakes. In particular, once the glaciers reach the "inflection point" of melting, their shrinking will be irreversible, resulting in the reduction of water inflows from rivers and lakes, which in turn brings grassland desertification, soil erosion and other ecological problems. Only by the gathering and observation of basic data can scientific countermeasures be adopted for the prevention and management of ecological risks in the source region.