China's lakes dry up as drought set to continue
Source: Xinhua/Shanghai Daily |
May 30, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China's two largest freshwater lakes are drying up because of the drought that has plagued the Yangtze River areas after the lowest levels of rainfall seen since 1961.
The drought has affected the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang near the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze. These areas have seen 40 to 60 percent less rainfall than normal.
In Hunan Province, fishermen near Dongting Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in China, have had to seek jobs outside their hometown after water levels fell to a record low two weeks ago.
Since January, rainfall in the area has been 50 to 60 percent of the average in past years, the provincial meteorological station said.
The central area of the lake has now become grassland.
"On May 24 last year, the lake area was 1,649 square kilometers and long-time surveys show that the lake area is 900sq km on average for May, but this year the lake area is 60 percent smaller than average," said Han Qinzhe, an expert from the Hunan Provincial Meteorological Research Institution.
Similarly, the water volume in Jiangxi's Poyang Lake, the country's largest freshwater lake, has shrunk to 740 million cubic meters, 87 percent smaller than in previous years.
The center of the lake is also now above the surface of the water.
"Normally, we would have our dragon boat race in May, but now there is no water, only grass," said a villager surnamed Qiu in Hongwei Village near the lake.
China's National Meteorological Center yesterday maintained its yellow drought alert, third highest on the four-scale system, while the meteorological authority of Hubei issued its first orange drought alert, the second highest, as conditions there are expected to get worse.
Forecasters say they do not expect meaningful rainfall over the next two days in the provinces and municipalities along the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze and say the dry weather will continue although there may be some periods of scattered drizzle.
Experts say there could be an explosion in the population of field mice if the drought doesn't subside by July. They also warned of a higher risk of forest fires.
The drought, which began in April, has affected about 6.2 million hectares of farmland and more than 5 million people and 3.4 million livestock are suffering shortages of drinking water, the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said last week.
From May 25, more water was being discharged from the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in an attempt to combat the drought in downstream provinces.
However, the huge reservoir at the super-dam is still not big enough to relieve the drought and, it is estimated, will run out water by June 10.
The drought has affected the provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang near the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze. These areas have seen 40 to 60 percent less rainfall than normal.
In Hunan Province, fishermen near Dongting Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in China, have had to seek jobs outside their hometown after water levels fell to a record low two weeks ago.
Since January, rainfall in the area has been 50 to 60 percent of the average in past years, the provincial meteorological station said.
The central area of the lake has now become grassland.
"On May 24 last year, the lake area was 1,649 square kilometers and long-time surveys show that the lake area is 900sq km on average for May, but this year the lake area is 60 percent smaller than average," said Han Qinzhe, an expert from the Hunan Provincial Meteorological Research Institution.
Similarly, the water volume in Jiangxi's Poyang Lake, the country's largest freshwater lake, has shrunk to 740 million cubic meters, 87 percent smaller than in previous years.
The center of the lake is also now above the surface of the water.
"Normally, we would have our dragon boat race in May, but now there is no water, only grass," said a villager surnamed Qiu in Hongwei Village near the lake.
China's National Meteorological Center yesterday maintained its yellow drought alert, third highest on the four-scale system, while the meteorological authority of Hubei issued its first orange drought alert, the second highest, as conditions there are expected to get worse.
Forecasters say they do not expect meaningful rainfall over the next two days in the provinces and municipalities along the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze and say the dry weather will continue although there may be some periods of scattered drizzle.
Experts say there could be an explosion in the population of field mice if the drought doesn't subside by July. They also warned of a higher risk of forest fires.
The drought, which began in April, has affected about 6.2 million hectares of farmland and more than 5 million people and 3.4 million livestock are suffering shortages of drinking water, the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said last week.
From May 25, more water was being discharged from the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in an attempt to combat the drought in downstream provinces.
However, the huge reservoir at the super-dam is still not big enough to relieve the drought and, it is estimated, will run out water by June 10.
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