Worst Drought In 50 Years Pounding Yunnan & Guanxi Provinces In China

[hatrack]

The worst drought in 50 years is leaving millions of people and animals without drinking water in Yunnan province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Zhu Zhenghong, 76, from Niubi village in the mountains outside Kunming, capital of Yunnan, sits on a huge rock outside his home at 10 am and 2 pm every day. "I am waiting for the drinking water sent by the government that is the most important thing to me now," he told China Daily yesterday. In Zhu's village, a total of 455 villagers are suffering from the drought, which has killed almost all the corn and bean crops in their fields. "I haven't seen any rain since last September and the stream on the mountain has dried up," Zhu said.

EDIT

Yunnan's rainfall since last July has been just over 200 mm, lower than the perennial average and a record low. Other than low rainfall, the province is also experiencing record high temperatures. Average temperatures have been nearly 2 C above normal. "High temperatures and low rainfall have driven wild elephants out of the forest to seek water," said Li Fuming, who works for the Wild Elephant Valley in Xishuangbanna, the southernmost prefecture of Yunnan.

The prolonged drought has also left 240,000 people and 110,000 heads of livestock without adequate drinking water in Guangxi. The mountainous areas in western and northwestern parts of the region have lacked rainfall since August last year, said a spokesman for the regional flood control and drought relief headquarters.

EDIT

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-02/04/content_9424339.htm

[ncguy]

1. So maybe

American farmers can sell them a lot of rice and grain and soybeans. The farmers around here could use a good year.

[ORDagnabbit]

2. can a drought really pound something? I think that rain would do that...how bout using the word

bake? :)

good article.

[pscot]

3. Just to the south

Northern Vietnam is seeing very low streamflows. Almost certainly related to drought further north. There was an earlier Hatrack post on that.

[TxRider]

4. China has some serious and long standing issues

http://www.gluckman.com/ChinaDesert.html