China’s Drought Threatens Farm Income, Drinking Water, Wildlife and Hydropower

Photo retrieved from: www.ekantipur.com

“To cope with the drought, Beijing ordered the Three Gorges Dam — the world’s largest hydroelectric plant, built at the upstream Yangtze River — to sacrifice its power generation for irrigation and drinking water.

Over the last three weeks, every minute, some 600,000 cubic meters of water — equivalent to the volume of seven Olympic-size swimming pools — was released from the dam to the drought-stricken areas. But this is viewed as a late gift.

“The dam operators lack experience in managing the water flow,” said Yang Fuqiang, a senior adviser on climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “They waited for too long until the drought impact reached extremes. And when they finally released water, the natural connection between the river and surrounding lakes was already broken, making it difficult to refill the lakes.”

Water levels in many lakes, streams and reservoirs along the Yangtze River were reported to be close to historic lows, until last week saw heavy rains. In part of the drought-hit regions, the sudden water increase on sun-baked soils caused floods that blocked roads, destroyed houses and displaced families. However, in other parts, some 2 million people are still lacking drinking water.”

Read more: New York Times