Months of unending severe drought in Guangdong province has caused stunted crops, shrinking reservoirs and thousands of people short of drinking water.
The provincial government reports the drought followed 14% less rainfall in the first 10 months of the year.
The dry conditions have shriveled up more than 55,000 hectares of farmland. The reduced rainfall has put more pressure on Guangdong’s 32 major reservoirs. They now hold 2.3 billion cu m less than they usually do, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.
The drought has left at least 55,000 people short of drinking water.
Despite the fact that Guangdong has been hard hit by the drought, water from the province has continued to flow into neighboring Hong Kong and Macao, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.
China.org.cn reports that each day, Guangdong sends 2 million cu m to Hong Kong and 230,000 cu m to Macao.