Since July, China’s southern provinces have been hit by heatwaves and an ongoing drought. Parts of the Yangtze River are running dry, which is dramatically impacting farming, production, and the lives of the local people.
The Yangtze is the longest river in China and the third longest in the world.
Originating on the Plateau of Tibet, the Yangtze winds eastward, passing cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, and Nanjing, and finally flowing into the East China Sea near Shanghai. These cities are among the largest in China, and their population accounts for nearly one-third of the national population.
Summer is usually the wet season for the Yangtze basin. According to the Chinese Water Resources Ministry (CWRM), China’s main flood season in the south officially began on June 1, and authorities were preparing for flooding as usual in June this year….