Nearly 10 million people in southern and southwestern regions of China have limited drinking water due to a severe drought, state media reported. A lack of rainfall has affected water supplies for 9.8 million people and 9.1 million livestock in the provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan and Hainan, as well as in the Guangxi region and Chongqing municipality. The drought covers a total of 25,833 square kilometers of land, including 16,146sq km of farmland. Large rivers and lakes in the region are 10-30% lower than normal, with water levels down by as much as 50% in certain areas. For example, the water levels in the Yangtze River have reached historic lows, raising concerns about the ability of the Three Gorges dam to generate power.
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