One million face drought in southwest China
Pastor Dale Morgan
One million face drought in southwest China*
17 Dec 2007 01:42:58 GMT
Source: Reuters
BEIJING, Dec 17 (Reuters) - More than a million people in the
southwestern Chinese region of Guangxi have been hit by drinking water
shortages in the worst drought since 1951, the official People's Daily
said on Monday.
In the last three months, Guangxi, the country's main sugar-growing
region, had had less than half the normal amount of rain, the report
said, while other parts of the region had seen almost no rain at all.
The government has earmarked 2.29 billion yuan ($310.8 million) to bring
water to thirsty villages, the newspaper added.
Large areas of south China are also suffering from serious drought, with
water levels on two major rivers -- the Gan and the Xiang -- in
rice-growing provinces dropping to historic lows.
China suffers water shortages of nearly 40 billion cubic metres a year
which its water minister has blamed largely on global warming, state
media have reported, though severe pollution and rising consumption by
both farmers and booming cities have compounded shortages. ($1=7.369
Yuan) (Reporting by Ben Blanchard)