Severe Drought Hits Multiple Provinces in China
China’s provinces such as Shaanxi, Henan, Gansu, and Guangxi are experiencing severe drought, reaching the level of extreme drought in some areas. This year, the average precipitation in Shaanxi is the lowest since 1961 for the same period, with local farmers mentioning that “there has been no rain since the Chinese New Year, the land is as dry as a desert,” the drought has severely impacted agriculture. A lawyer from Shaanxi stated that with the poor economy, unemployment among migrant workers, and the drought, this year is the most difficult for Chinese farmers in over a decade.
According to a report by the China Youth Daily on May 16th, severe drought is affecting northern, central, and southern Shaanxi, and the possibility of relief in the short term is minimal. It has already affected the growth and development of winter grain crops and economic crops, leading to a significant area being unable to plant normally in the spring.
This spring, Shaanxi Province has experienced below-average precipitation, especially since late March, the average precipitation in the entire province has been the lowest for the same period since 1961, with temperatures remaining high. A video posted on the website of China Youth Net shows that southern and central Shaanxi has reached the level of extreme drought, local farmers mentioned that “there has been no rain since the Chinese New Year, the land is dry and barren like a desert, there’s not a drop of water even when digging a dozen centimeters,” the drought has delayed the planting of corn by a month.
On May 17th, a Chinese blogger posted a video stating that Shaanxi is experiencing a severe drought, with bamboo groves withering and many streams and small rivers in the Qinling Mountains drying up.
Similarly, a sports blogger posted a video on the same day, remarking on the strange weather in Shaanxi, “In the morning, I went out for a run, and then a strong wind started blowing. Look at the gray and dusty weather outside, with sandstorms returning, this spring is indeed unusual, facing both severe drought and sandstorms. Anyway, even if things are like this, I’ll still go for a run first.”
Another video surfaced on May 17th by a blogger from the Qinling Mountains stating that there hasn’t been a good rainfall since the Chinese New Year, with persistent high temperatures and drought, many rivers have dried up, and even in the usually water-abundant southern Shaanxi, the drought is severe.
Another blogger highlighted the drought in Shaanxi, showing that the Han River has almost dried up, and the Sanyuan Reservoir in Shaanxi has also dried up.
According to the China Meteorological Administration on May 16th, this year, due to the impact of high temperatures and low rainfall, meteorological drought has rapidly developed in South China, North China, Northwest China, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and Sichuan. The latest monitoring data from the National Climate Center shows that Shaanxi, Henan, and eastern Gansu are currently experiencing moderate to severe meteorological drought, with southwestern Shaanxi and southwestern Henan being particularly affected by extreme drought.
Shaanxi, Henan, and Gansu are all traditional agricultural powerhouse provinces in China.
On May 17th, a blogger filmed wheat fields in Henan, randomly picking two wheat spikes, one had only one layer of husk, while the other had just a dozen grains. The blogger commented that due to this year’s drought, wheat is unlikely to see a “bumper harvest” again.
Another blogger wrote, “This year’s severe drought has caused heavy losses for Henan farmers. Farmers rely on the weather for their livelihoods, from the moment they plant wheat, the gears of fate start turning. With over 40 acres of wheat planted at home, spending 200 yuan on plowing, 180 yuan on seeds, 600 yuan on fertilizer, and 50 yuan on harvesting, tirelessly working to weed daily since germination, all in the hope of a good harvest. But after a busy season, they only end up with a few hundred catties of wheat, worth just a couple hundred yuan, perhaps only enough for a meal when going out. When they receive this meager amount, they feel very helpless, realizing that the wheat they planted has become bread they can’t afford.”
A video on May 17th showed that under the severe drought, the upstream of the Wei River spanning Gansu and Shaanxi is almost dried up.
According to the National Climate Center of China, extreme drought conditions have been observed in provinces such as Guangxi, Jiangsu, Shanxi, and Gansu. In Guangxi and Jiangsu, the average number of consecutive dry days since January 1st is the highest in history since 1961. In Shaanxi and Gansu, the average precipitation has been more than fifty percent below normal since March 1st, ranking as the lowest and second-lowest in history since 1961 for the same period. Due to the drought, water levels in rivers and reservoirs in southern and central parts of Guangxi have significantly decreased.
A blogger in Gansu’s Longxi County described the severe drought as causing the grass in the fields not to grow, leading to a significant decrease in medicinal herbs production. A perceptive individual has already started hoarding goods. One farmer asks, “Is there still water in the sky? Not a single drop of rain has fallen since the Chinese New Year until now.”
According to a report by The Paper on May 16th, Anhui Province has seen rainfall below the normal level by 50% for the same period this year, with drought conditions gradually becoming evident.
Lawyer Zongru Chen from Shaanxi filmed a video stating that the humanitarian crisis caused by the drought is more terrifying than a trade war. He mentioned, “Recently, I went back to my hometown and found that rural areas are indeed in a difficult situation, what’s difficult? Firstly, due to the poor economic situation, many migrant workers who used to work in construction have no jobs and can only stay idle at home, which is the first difficulty. The second difficulty is the ongoing severe drought, almost leading to complete crop failure. Now, farmers are considering whether or not to harvest the wheat, thinking about whether the money from selling the wheat will cover the cost of bringing in the harvester. The third difficulty is that the wells in rural areas have dried up, making it difficult for farmers to access water, needing to fetch water from various sources, this is a dilemma in people’s lives. I feel that this year should be the most difficult for us in over a decade.”