East China Province Combating Severe Drought

Home>>Life

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, September 21, 2002

East China Province Combating Severe Drought

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Authorities of east China's Shandong Province have earmarked an emergency 15 million yuan (1.807 million US dollars) in its ongoing fight against a large-scale drought, the worst the region has experienced in over half a century.

More than one billion yuan (120.482 million US dollars) has already been appropriated as anti-drought funds for the province.

According to statistics provided by the local hydrologic and water resources bureau, Between July 1 and August 20 this year, the whole province received only 110 mm of rainfall, the lowest for the same period during each of the past 53 years. Though data is not available before 1949, frequency analysis shows that such a severe drought is to be expected about every 100 years.

This spring and summer's drought has caused heavy loss for the province.

By September 10, a total of 3.62 million hectares of crops had been affected, including 1.17 million hectares seriously suffering and 470,902 hectares expecting no yield, according to local drought and flood control officials.

Some 60 county-level cities in the province, and 3.66 million people, are suffering from a shortage of water. Shandong has only a combined total of 3.68 billion cubic meters of water stored, 3.15 billion cubic meters less than the corresponding period during the past five decades.

The persistent drought has also caused loss to the industrial sectors of the province. Some enterprises have had to slash production, and China's largest printing and dyeing facility has even been forced to shut down due to water shortage.

Shandong will continue to suffer from the drought, experts predict, as the flooding season has passed and water storage is low in provincial water control projects. Still worse, the only outside water source for the province -- the Xiaolangdi Reservoir on the Yellow River -- now has only l40 million cubic meters of water.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Severe Drought Hits Shandong, Causing Huge Losses

Know Who to Love, Who to Hate ( 2 Messages)

China to Build up Oil Stockpile ( 2 Messages)

China Since 1990: Facts and Figures Tell of Rising Prosperity ( 26 Messages)

Dozens Could Have Died in Food Poisoning in Nanjing ( 19 Messages)

China Hopes to See Iraqi Issue Resolved Within UN Framework ( 43 Messages)