Yunnan has been hit by drought for three consecutive years. 6.31 million people are facing water shortages, with over 2 million facing difficulties in obtaining water and more than 5.5 million hectares of fields affected. Local governments are desperate to cope with the disaster, but there is still no sign of relief. more ›

Hu Siyi (胡四一), Vice Minister of China's Water Resource Ministry, said Chinese water resources per capita is only 28% of the world average, during a press conference hosted by the State Council's Information Office. more ›

Though the rain in Shanghai this week has certainly been an inconvenience, the human impact has been negligible compared to the ordeal other areas in China have been suffering. Downpours in Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guizhou and Anhui provinces began Monday evening, and hit Zhejiang province Tuesday morning. more ›

More insane photos of the flooding in southern China that has killed a total of 54 people, according to the latest from Xinhua. Guizhou province was hardest hit, with 21 dead and 36 missing. Guizhou's Wangmo country recorded 4.1 inches of rain in just one hour, the most in 200 years! The torrential rains follow months of severe drought, and have wreaked havoc on 4.8 million people in 12 southern provinces. From AFP: more ›

Floods have taken 21 lives in Guizhou's Wangmo County (望谟县), with an additional 32 people being reported as missing. The torrential downpour that began on Friday has impacted 16 cities and counties in Guizhou province, affecting nearly 400,000 people, with 13,000 hectares of ruined farmland (32,124 acres) and an estimated 1.34 billion RMB in damages occurring in Wangmo County alone. more ›

Amid the worst drought to hit China in 50+ years, Shanghai is facing its lowest precipitation levels in 138 years! You've probably all been failing to properly appreciate the ease of hailing cabs, the lack of rusty umbrella wires poking you in the face, the extra space on sidewalks, and the cleanliness of your shoes and floors. From Xinhua: "Shanghai's urban areas have recorded just 132.9 mm of rainfall since the beginning of this year, the lowest level since 1873, said the report. Shanghai already experienced a dry and cold winter last year, with the the lowest average temperatures recorded in the city since 1978 . . . It is predicted that the city will face unusually high temperatures over the coming summer months, according to the report." So what we've gained in aridity we'll pay for later this summer in sweat. This weekend should see the end of this dry spell, however, as showers are predicted Friday through Monday. more ›

It pains us to say that the scourge of drought that began earlier this year has yet to abate. more ›

Seriously, how are we possibly going to survive the heat with 1/28th less electricity for our air conditioners? "There could be more power shortages than expected in China's financial hub of Shanghai during the summer, data from the local power grid operator showed, as the country was expected to grapple with the worst power crunches in years. Given expected peak summer power load of 28 to 28.5 gigawatts (GW) and maximum available load of 27.4 GW, electricity shortfalls would amount to 0.6 to 1.1 GW, the Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company said in a report on its website on Tuesday. Severe droughts have cut down hydropower generation in Hubei, Sichuan, Chongqing and some other Chinese provinces and power shortages have hit many of the regions." [Reuters] more ›

China's eight winter-wheat-producing provinces are facing their worst drought in 60 years. Over 7.7 million hectares have been affected, 42% of the planned harvest, which has prompted the UN to issue a warning about the potential effects on international food prices. The Chinese government has announced a plan to spend 6.7 million RMB combating the problem, which likely began with cloud seeding that resulted in a long-awaited snow yesterday. more ›

The Yangtze River just can't seem to cut a break these days. Earlier this year we reported that the river was in its death throes and now it's being hit by droughts. This week the Yangtze River hit a 142-year record low, a plight expected to have some serious environmental and economic repercussion, particularly in our humble delta region. more ›