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Copyright © 2024 CGTN. 京ICP备20000184号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
Southwest China's Yunnan province is facing another severe drought after experiencing its worst drought since 1961 last year.
A villager herds goats in a dried reservoir in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, southwest China, May 25, 2023. /CFP
The dry conditions have worsened this spring, with rainfall decreasing by nearly 20 percent since the beginning of this year compared to the same period last year, and the river water levels have declined by 13 percent.
The situation has affected 74 counties in 11 cities and prefectures, prompting local governments to take emergency measures.
Huangcaoping Reservoir, a major water reserve in Yunnan's Qujing City, has seen its water levels plummet from 6.9 million cubic meters in 2022 to only 1 million cubic meters, becoming a "dead pool" as the water has dropped to levels too low to pass through the dam at all.
The water volume in all the 490 water reservoirs in Qujing's Malong District was halved this year, compared to the same period in previous years.
It's estimated that this will affect tens of thousands of people, especially residents in remote rural areas.
The local authorities in Malong District have initiated weekly checks in the rural areas and are dispatching water trucks to villagers in need.
The weather department forecasts less rainfall and high temperatures in Yunnan until May, depicting a dire prospect for the province.
Qujing and other areas will enter the spring plowing season in the next two or three weeks, which means agricultural water use is expected to surge.
Some farmers have switched from spray irrigation to drip irrigation to save water.
(Cover image via CFP)