Drought shrinks China's largest lake to historic low

Stricken by a severe drought, Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, recently began to shrink severely. According to the latest reports from satellite remote sensing, the current water area of Poyang Lake is 1,326 square kilometers, which is the smallest on record. The size of the water area is just one-tenth of the area during the same period in 2010.

This year, a rare drought throughout spring and summer struck Jiangxi. From January on, the water level of Poyang Lake has been on the decline. Statistics released on May 22, show that the average water level is 5 meters below the former year's normal level.

According to the latest monitoring data, from May on, the amount of precipitation in north and central of Jiangxi has been in shortage, and there are currently 14 counties, towns and regions experiencing an extraordinary drought.

By People's Daily Online

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