China’s record-breaking drought hits major rice-growing regions, risks for drinking water and animal conservation
- National Meteorological Centre issued a drought warning for the 33rd straight day on Monday, with Jiangxi province suffering ‘severe’ drought for 69 days this year
- Concerns that the lack of water will also threaten aquatic animals in Poyang Lake, including the Yangtze finless porpoise
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2-metre ‘giant rice’ twice as tall as other varieties nearly ready for first harvest in China
A record-breaking drought has continued to hit China’s two major rice-growing regions, adding to challenges over food security, drinking water and the conservation of endangered Yangtze River mammals.
Jiangxi has suffered “severe” drought for 69 days this year as of Monday, when 95.7 per cent of its county-level areas were deemed to be under an “extremely severe” drought, according to the national and provincial meteorological authorities.
“[The] numbers of days of high temperature, average temperature and days of no rain all reached a new high,” Hu Jufang, senior engineer of the Jiangxi provincial climate centre, told state broadcaster CCTV on Monday.
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Villager fishes in drying pools at China’s biggest freshwater lake
A similar scene has also haunted the neighbouring southern province of Hunan, where the local water resource bureau warned on Monday that the drought situation is still “developing”.
