Jiangsu parched as global heating bites

The big environmental stories in the Chinese media this week (2-8 August)

North Jiangsu is experiencing its driest period since records began 60 years ago,Caixin reports. One of the province’s largest water reserves, Hongze Lake, has seen its surface area shrink 37% below average, prompting a number of local governments to issue water scarcity warnings. The drought has already lasted five months and is expected to continue for some time.

Sun Hongbin, from the Jiangsu Department of Water Resources, told media the drought has been caused by the lowest level of rainfall on record and the drying of upstream sections of the Huai River.

In response, the Jiangsu government is utilising the South-North Water Diversion Project “with full force” to pump water from other rivers to the affected region.

The province also issued a heatwave warning for all of last week, while southern parts of the province have been facing flood risks from an overloaded Yangtze River.

On Sunday 4 August, China Meteorological Association climate change special advisor, Ding Yihui, warned that climate change will make heatwaves a “new normal” for China from 2030 or 2035 onwards. He also noted flooding, drought, glacial melt, rising sea levels and food insecurity as among the “ten big risks” climate change is exacerbating in China.

“For China and the world, we all face the issue of how to deal with and minimise these risks,” Ding Yihui told journalists. He called for emissions reductions and a move towards a “green, low carbon” future.