According to China’s National Climate Center, parts of China have had to deal with prolonged heatwaves. This is the first time this has happened since 1961. More than 90 crore people in more than 17 provinces are affected by the scorching heat.
In the midst of the economic crisis, China is also battling drought. Setting temperature records. Crops are getting ruined. The reservoirs are drying up. The water level of rivers is decreasing. The situation in the country is blowing the senses of the Chinese government. Dealing with drought is not less than a challenge before the Chinese government because it is directly related to the country’s economy.
Drought in more than 17 provinces
More than 90 crore people in more than 17 provinces are affected by the scorching heat. This has adversely affected its food and energy security. Water levels in China’s largest freshwater lake Poyang Lake and other areas of the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) also continue to drop, JustEarth News reports.
Decline in food security
This has led to a decline in China’s water and food security as well as hydroelectricity production. Along with the power shortage, the country’s energy security has presented issues. It is being said that China has had the hottest summer since 1961. As JustEarth News reports, the intense weather has resulted in the drought. This summer in China is getting worse still.
Concerns are already rising over China’s food security issue in light of the extraordinary global food crisis and the country’s complex geopolitical landscape. In recent months, senior Chinese officials have repeatedly emphasized the strategic importance of preserving the country’s food security.
President Xi Jinping urges food security
President Xi Jinping has urged food security to protect grain and protect farms from rising domestic production after publicly linking food security to China’s national security, JustEarth News reported. yRB is important to China’s food security as it produces about 50 percent of the country’s grain.
China’s autumn harvest is in a ‘critical stage’, according to Liu Weiping, Vice Minister of Water Resources in ChinaAs JustEarth News reports, up to 50 percent of Sichuan’s reservoirs have dried up due to the drought, which has affected the province’s hydroelectricity production and exports.
