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Top-level drought warning declared
Source: Xinhua |
February 6, 2009, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA declared a top-level emergency yesterday in northern provinces suffering from the worst drought in half a century that has left nearly 4 million people without proper drinking water and is threatening millions of hectares of crops.
The Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief posted a notice on its Website declaring the situation a level-one emergency on the country's four-level scale. It called the dry spell a drought "rarely seen in history."
President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao ordered "all-out efforts" to fight the drought in the country's vast wheat-growing regions and ensure a good summer harvest.
The central government decided to provide another 300 million yuan (US$44 million) in drought relief funds in addition to the 100 million yuan already allocated. The money will be used to buy agricultural machinery and production material.
The drought began in November and has affected 10.3 million hectares of crops, one-third of them seriously, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Most of the hardest-hit provinces are in northern China, though several are in the east.
Almost half of the wheat-growing areas in provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi, Hubei, and Gansu were threatened.
Government officials at all levels must give anti-drought work priority as the country tries to stabilize grain production, increase farmers' income and ensure agricultural production, the State Council, China's Cabinet, said.
The affected departments in local areas were urged to enhance farmland management, mobilize human resources, ensure technology services and enlarge irrigation areas.
Efforts should also be made to build emergency water resources and produce artificial precipitation to alleviate water shortages and ensure drinking water for people and livestock.
The Ministry of Water Resources also said it would enhance supervision and launch emergency efforts as necessary.
The appropriate departments were also told to allocate special funds to aid poverty-stricken people in rural areas.
The Cabinet said it will send work teams to the drought-hit provinces to carry out mitigation efforts. The Ministry of Agriculture has already sent 12 teams of experts to the drought-hit provinces to instruct farmers on relief measures.
Efforts should also be made to watch out for forest fires, upgrade disaster planning and prevent the spread of plant disease and pests, the State Council said.
Zong Zhiping, chief forecaster of the National Meteorological Center, said yesterday dry air and frequent cold fronts were combining to limit the amount of rain.
"Humidity from the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean is the major rain source for China, but abnormal atmospheric circulation has cut off that source of water," Zong said.
"Moreover, it's hard for rain to form in cold weather."
In Shandong Province, for instance, only 1 millimeter of rain has fallen so far this winter, 90 percent less than in previous winters.
The China Meteorological Administration said yesterday that the country's north would experience light or moderate precipitation starting tomorrow, but the severe drought conditions there were not likely to ease.
The administration also warned that drought is expected to spread to the country's east and the Yellow River and Huaihe River in March.
The Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief posted a notice on its Website declaring the situation a level-one emergency on the country's four-level scale. It called the dry spell a drought "rarely seen in history."
President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao ordered "all-out efforts" to fight the drought in the country's vast wheat-growing regions and ensure a good summer harvest.
The central government decided to provide another 300 million yuan (US$44 million) in drought relief funds in addition to the 100 million yuan already allocated. The money will be used to buy agricultural machinery and production material.
The drought began in November and has affected 10.3 million hectares of crops, one-third of them seriously, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Most of the hardest-hit provinces are in northern China, though several are in the east.
Almost half of the wheat-growing areas in provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi, Hubei, and Gansu were threatened.
Government officials at all levels must give anti-drought work priority as the country tries to stabilize grain production, increase farmers' income and ensure agricultural production, the State Council, China's Cabinet, said.
The affected departments in local areas were urged to enhance farmland management, mobilize human resources, ensure technology services and enlarge irrigation areas.
Efforts should also be made to build emergency water resources and produce artificial precipitation to alleviate water shortages and ensure drinking water for people and livestock.
The Ministry of Water Resources also said it would enhance supervision and launch emergency efforts as necessary.
The appropriate departments were also told to allocate special funds to aid poverty-stricken people in rural areas.
The Cabinet said it will send work teams to the drought-hit provinces to carry out mitigation efforts. The Ministry of Agriculture has already sent 12 teams of experts to the drought-hit provinces to instruct farmers on relief measures.
Efforts should also be made to watch out for forest fires, upgrade disaster planning and prevent the spread of plant disease and pests, the State Council said.
Zong Zhiping, chief forecaster of the National Meteorological Center, said yesterday dry air and frequent cold fronts were combining to limit the amount of rain.
"Humidity from the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean is the major rain source for China, but abnormal atmospheric circulation has cut off that source of water," Zong said.
"Moreover, it's hard for rain to form in cold weather."
In Shandong Province, for instance, only 1 millimeter of rain has fallen so far this winter, 90 percent less than in previous winters.
The China Meteorological Administration said yesterday that the country's north would experience light or moderate precipitation starting tomorrow, but the severe drought conditions there were not likely to ease.
The administration also warned that drought is expected to spread to the country's east and the Yellow River and Huaihe River in March.
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