2010 China drought and dust storms
Encyclopedia
The 2010 China drought and dust storms were a series of severe drought
s during the spring of 2010 that affected Yunnan
, Guizhou
, Guangxi
, Sichuan
, Shanxi
, Henan
, Shaanxi
, Chongqing
, Hebei
and Gansu
in the People's Republic of China
as well as parts of Southeast Asia
including Vietnam
and Thailand
, and dust storm
s in March and April that affected much of East Asia
. The drought has been referred to as the worst in a century in southwestern China.
recorded temperatures averaging 2°C warmer than normal over six months and half the average precipitation for the past year across the region, both unprecedented since at least the 1950s. The effects of El Niño are believed to be contributing to the drought, which may be exacerbated by global warming
and resulting climate change
., as some areas in Yunnan have recorded record high temperatures during the winter since record-keeping began in 1950. Some areas in the drought-affected regions have seen no rainfall since prior to October. Spring dust storms are common in China, but have become more severe in recent years due to desertification
, deforestation
, drought
, urban sprawl
and overgrazing
. Countries downstream from Yunnan are also affected by drought conditions upriver, and some places including much of Vietnam have seen very little precipitation since the previous September.
A severe drought in 2009 also affected much of Northern China
and Northeastern China, resulting in agricultural losses of up to 50%.
s, tea
, fruit
, potato
es, rapeseed
, medicinal ingredients
, tobacco
, wheat
, rubber
and coffee
have been severely affected with output reduced by as much as 50%. Authorities began to fear unrest due to soaring food prices and sent more than 10,000 armed police to the affected regions to ensure stability and help with water supplies. More than 20 million people are left without adequate drinking water in Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan and Chongqing, and many well
s in Yunnan have gone dry. The three wells in the village of Xiazha in Guangxi Autonomous Region were reported to have gone completely dry for the first time since 1517, in addition to three reservoir
s in the area going dry. Economic damage to agriculture and failed electricity generation
from hydroelectric dams from the drought was estimated to be at least 24 billion Chinese yuan
($3.5 billion USD). Around 3,600 rivers and brook
s in Guizhou have run dry, while 916,000 ha
of crops were affected by drought in the province and one million farmers have left to find work in other provinces. The drought affected over 28 million farmers, and a grain
shortage has affected 8 million people. The Chinese government
has transferred 1.7 million tonnes of grain to the region to reduce potential inflation
. About 4.348 million ha of cropland were affected by the drought in Southwestern China and 942,000 ha would yield no harvest by late March, according to China's State Commission of Disaster Relief. In late March, the government began cloud seeding
in Guizhou using silver iodide
to produce rain. By April 10, the drought had eased in Chongqing due to heavy rain, but it had affected over 18 million livestock
and 8.13 million ha of land. In parts of Yunnan Province inhabited by the Dai people
, officials cancelled or shortened the Songkran water dousing
festival due to the water shortage, including in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture
and Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture
. By early June, the drought had affected close to 5 million hectares of land.
The drought may also affect water levels at the headwaters of the Chang Jiang
, Mekong and Salween River
s. Some experts believe that hydropower
production may be contributing to the water shortage from the drought. Countries downstream of the Mekong, including Thailand
, suggested that the building of dam
s on the river such as at Lancang
may be worsening the effects of drought on the river's water levels, which were at their lowest in 20 years. Fisheries along the Mekong in Thailand have halted, and 7.9 million people in the country are affected by the drought. 3,674 small dams within the river basin have dried up.
The drought in Vietnam was described as the country's worst in a century. The Red River near Hanoi
was by early March at a level of 0.68 m (2.2 ft), the lowest on record, and rice
plantations have been severely affected. Timber fires have been sparked in several regions. The Mekong Delta
experienced its lowest water levels in nearly 20 years, threatening to produce saltwater intrusion
in dry areas. Some parts of Vietnam are forecast to possibly receive no rain until August. A power shortage of up to one billion kilowatt-hours could also hit the country as less water is available for hydroelectricity.
The El Niño conditions of the winter prior to the drought has raised concerns that the rice crop in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines
may be significantly reduced by the summer.
The lack of precipitation caused land subsidence at Kunming Wujiaba International Airport
in Yunnan.
About 5,000 villagers in Yunnan Province have left their homes from the drought for streams near Himalayan
foothills, and many residents in Guangxi who are able to leave have also left. However, officials have denied reports of drought refugee
s leaving their villages. The source of the Pearl River
's headwaters was cut off, and its outflow was severely reduced. Water rationing was put into practice in some rural regions.
Shortages of drinking water also affected parts of Inner Mongolia
, including a water shortage for over 250,000 residents of Chifeng
. Reservoirs in the city held 73.7% less water than they did one year prior and water volume had reduced by 77.4% in major rivers in the area by mid-April.
The drought has affected non-ferrous metal
production in Guangxi, including of electrolytic zinc
, with companies in Nandan County
cutting production by 30%.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
visited southwestern China three times during the drought, including a three-day tour in mid-March in Yunnan, including Luliang County
, which had seen no rainfall since August, to promote water conservation
, and another visit in early April 2010 to several Miao
and Buyei
Autonomous Prefectures in Guizhou, some of the worst-hit places where farming has been made impossible.
Most provinces in South China affected by the drought were hit by a series of floods
beginning in mid-May that ended most of the drought but also destroyed large areas of farmland.
in Mongolia
hit Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia
, Shaanxi
, Shanxi
, Hebei
, Beijing
, Hong Kong
, Taiwan
, South Korea
, North Korea
and Japan
by March 22, before being carried across the Pacific Ocean
by the jet stream
, with some dust reaching the West Coast of the United States
. The dust storm in late March spiralled around a strong low pressure system. Many areas recorded an extremely rare level 5 "hazardous" rating for air quality. Many flights in Beijing were also delayed or cancelled. Air pollution readings in Hong Kong reached a record high, reaching at least 15 times the recommended maximum levels by the World Health Organization
. Taiwan also reported a new record for worst sandstorm conditions.
A strong sandstorm tore through Turpan in Xinjiang on April 23, sparking fires that killed two people and forcing a shutdown of rail and road traffic for six hours.
. Many celebrities took part including Wang Feng (汪峰), Elva Hsiao
, Andy Lau
, He Jie
, Jackie Chan
, Ye bei (叶蓓), Yan Wei-wen (阎维文), Zhou Xiao-ou (周晓欧), Zhou Bichang
, and Yang-zi (杨紫). The Hong Kong government also approved a HK$1.4 million grant.
Many donations of bottled water
have also arrived in Guizhou and other parts of southwestern China from around the country.
, consisting of enteromorpha
algae, developed off the coast of Shangdong, in the Yellow Sea
. Causes of the algal outbreak include marine pollution
from sewage
and agricultural
run-off, in addition to run-off from fish farms, worsened by eutrophication
following the drought, subsequent flooding and heat wave, as well as high sea surface temperature
s in the area. The bloom continues to expand, and preparations have been made for a flotilla of vessels to ward off the bloom, covering an area of 400 sqkm, the largest bloom since 2008. The patch of algae since expanded offshore Jiangsu
Province, and is pushing toward the city of Qingdao
. The Chinese State Oceanic Administration
has warned that the algae could threaten marine life and local tourism, and other scientists have stated that the bloom could decompose on beaches and release toxic gases if not cleaned up. Close to 4,000 tonnes a day of algae is being removed from the bloom, to be sent off and used as animal feed
or fertilizer
. Green and red tide
s have become more common in China in recent years. The green tides from the current algal blooms can also result in dead zone
s from localized ocean anoxia. Large blooms of jellyfish
, including giant Nomura's jellyfish
have also appeared off Shangdong and around the coasts of Japan within the past decade, as a result of the same type of pollution in dead zones.
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
s during the spring of 2010 that affected Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
, Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
and Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
as well as parts of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
including Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and dust storm
Dust storm
A dust / sand storm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil to move from one place and deposition...
s in March and April that affected much of East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
. The drought has been referred to as the worst in a century in southwestern China.
Causes
Prior to the drought in Yunnan and Guizhou, the China Meteorological AdministrationChina Meteorological Administration
The China Meteorological Administration , headquartered in Beijing, is the national weather service for the People's Republic of China.-History:...
recorded temperatures averaging 2°C warmer than normal over six months and half the average precipitation for the past year across the region, both unprecedented since at least the 1950s. The effects of El Niño are believed to be contributing to the drought, which may be exacerbated by global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
and resulting climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
., as some areas in Yunnan have recorded record high temperatures during the winter since record-keeping began in 1950. Some areas in the drought-affected regions have seen no rainfall since prior to October. Spring dust storms are common in China, but have become more severe in recent years due to desertification
Desertification
Desertification is the degradation of land in drylands. Caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities, desertification is one of the most significant global environmental problems.-Definitions:...
, deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
, drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
, urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
and overgrazing
Overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, or by overpopulations of native or non-native wild animals.Overgrazing reduces the...
. Countries downstream from Yunnan are also affected by drought conditions upriver, and some places including much of Vietnam have seen very little precipitation since the previous September.
A severe drought in 2009 also affected much of Northern China
Northern China
Northern China or North China may mean:* North China* North China Plain* Northern and southern China - rough geographic regions in China* North China * Northeast China * Northeast China Plain* Northwest China...
and Northeastern China, resulting in agricultural losses of up to 50%.
Water shortages
By March 22, 2010, about 51 million people faced water shortages in a number of provinces. Commodities including sugar cane, flowerFlower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s, tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es, rapeseed
Rapeseed
Rapeseed , also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rappi, rapaseed is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae...
, medicinal ingredients
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
and coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
have been severely affected with output reduced by as much as 50%. Authorities began to fear unrest due to soaring food prices and sent more than 10,000 armed police to the affected regions to ensure stability and help with water supplies. More than 20 million people are left without adequate drinking water in Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan and Chongqing, and many well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
s in Yunnan have gone dry. The three wells in the village of Xiazha in Guangxi Autonomous Region were reported to have gone completely dry for the first time since 1517, in addition to three reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s in the area going dry. Economic damage to agriculture and failed electricity generation
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
from hydroelectric dams from the drought was estimated to be at least 24 billion Chinese yuan
Chinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
($3.5 billion USD). Around 3,600 rivers and brook
Brook
-Places:*In the United Kingdom:**Brook, New Forest, Hampshire**Brook, Test Valley, Hampshire**Brook, Isle of Wight**Brook, Kent**Brook, Surrey**Brook, Carmarthenshire*In the United States:**Brook, Indiana-People:...
s in Guizhou have run dry, while 916,000 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
of crops were affected by drought in the province and one million farmers have left to find work in other provinces. The drought affected over 28 million farmers, and a grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
shortage has affected 8 million people. The Chinese government
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
has transferred 1.7 million tonnes of grain to the region to reduce potential inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
. About 4.348 million ha of cropland were affected by the drought in Southwestern China and 942,000 ha would yield no harvest by late March, according to China's State Commission of Disaster Relief. In late March, the government began cloud seeding
Cloud seeding
Cloud seeding, a form of intentional weather modification, is the attempt to change the amount or type of precipitation that falls from clouds, by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, which alter the microphysical processes within the cloud...
in Guizhou using silver iodide
Silver iodide
Silver iodide is a yellow, inorganic, photosensitive iodide of silver used in photography, in medicine as an antiseptic, and in rainmaking for cloud seeding.-Crystal structure:...
to produce rain. By April 10, the drought had eased in Chongqing due to heavy rain, but it had affected over 18 million livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
and 8.13 million ha of land. In parts of Yunnan Province inhabited by the Dai people
Dai people
The Dai peoples is one of several ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture , but by extension can apply to groups in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma when Dai is used to mean specifically Tai Lue, Chinese Shan or even...
, officials cancelled or shortened the Songkran water dousing
Dousing
Dousing is the practice of making something or someone wet by throwing liquid over them, e.g., by pouring water, generally cold, over oneself. A related practice is ice swimming. Some consider cold water dousing to be a form of asceticism....
festival due to the water shortage, including in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture
Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture
The Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture is located in Yunnan province, China.- Geography :...
and Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture
Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture
Xishuangbanna is an autonomous prefecture in Yunnan Province, China. The capital city is Jinghong, the largest settlement in the area and one that straddles the Mekong River, called the Lancang River in Chinese.-Name:...
. By early June, the drought had affected close to 5 million hectares of land.
The drought may also affect water levels at the headwaters of the Chang Jiang
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
, Mekong and Salween River
Salween River
The Salween is a river, about long, that flows from the Tibetan Plateau into the Andaman Sea in Southeast Asia. It drains a narrow and mountainous watershed of that extends into the countries China, Burma and Thailand. Steep canyon walls line the swift, powerful and undammed Salween, one of the...
s. Some experts believe that hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
production may be contributing to the water shortage from the drought. Countries downstream of the Mekong, including Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, suggested that the building of dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s on the river such as at Lancang
Lancang
Lancang may refer to:*Lancang River, in China, upper half of Mekong River*Lancang County, in Yunnan, China...
may be worsening the effects of drought on the river's water levels, which were at their lowest in 20 years. Fisheries along the Mekong in Thailand have halted, and 7.9 million people in the country are affected by the drought. 3,674 small dams within the river basin have dried up.
The drought in Vietnam was described as the country's worst in a century. The Red River near Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
was by early March at a level of 0.68 m (2.2 ft), the lowest on record, and rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
plantations have been severely affected. Timber fires have been sparked in several regions. The Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
experienced its lowest water levels in nearly 20 years, threatening to produce saltwater intrusion
Saltwater intrusion
Saltwater intrusion is the movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers. Most often, it is caused by ground-water pumping from coastal wells, or from construction of navigation channels or oil field canals. The channels and canals provide conduits for salt water to be brought into fresh...
in dry areas. Some parts of Vietnam are forecast to possibly receive no rain until August. A power shortage of up to one billion kilowatt-hours could also hit the country as less water is available for hydroelectricity.
The El Niño conditions of the winter prior to the drought has raised concerns that the rice crop in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
may be significantly reduced by the summer.
The lack of precipitation caused land subsidence at Kunming Wujiaba International Airport
Kunming Wujiaba International Airport
- History :The airport is among the oldest airports in China, with a history that can be traced back over 100 years to the early 1900s, when Wujiaba Airport was first built under the supervision of local warlord, General Tang Jiyao....
in Yunnan.
About 5,000 villagers in Yunnan Province have left their homes from the drought for streams near Himalayan
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
foothills, and many residents in Guangxi who are able to leave have also left. However, officials have denied reports of drought refugee
Climate refugee
Environmental migrant refers to the people who are purportedly forced to migrate from or flee their home region due to sudden or long-term changes to their local environment, which is held to include increased droughts, desertification, sea level rise, and disruption of seasonal weather patterns...
s leaving their villages. The source of the Pearl River
Pearl River (China)
The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...
's headwaters was cut off, and its outflow was severely reduced. Water rationing was put into practice in some rural regions.
Shortages of drinking water also affected parts of Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, including a water shortage for over 250,000 residents of Chifeng
Chifeng
Chifeng , also known as Ulanhad, is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It borders Xilin Gol to the north and west, Tongliao to the northeast, Chaoyang prefecture of Liaoning province to the southeast, and Chengde prefecture of Hebei province to the...
. Reservoirs in the city held 73.7% less water than they did one year prior and water volume had reduced by 77.4% in major rivers in the area by mid-April.
The drought has affected non-ferrous metal
Non-ferrous metal
In metallurgy, a non-ferrous metal is a metal that is not ferrous, that is, any metal, including alloys, that does not contain iron in appreciable amounts...
production in Guangxi, including of electrolytic zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, with companies in Nandan County
Nandan County
Nandan County is a county in Hechi Prefecture, in northwest of Guangxi Province of China.Area: 3916 km2.Population: 276,000Postal Code: 547200.Telephone Area Code: 0778-External links:*...
cutting production by 30%.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
visited southwestern China three times during the drought, including a three-day tour in mid-March in Yunnan, including Luliang County
Luliang County
-External links:*...
, which had seen no rainfall since August, to promote water conservation
Water conservation
Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.- Water conservation :Water conservation can be defined as:...
, and another visit in early April 2010 to several Miao
Miao people
The Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
and Buyei
Buyei
The Buyei are an ethnic group living in southern mainland China. Numbering 2.5 million, they are the 11th largest of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China...
Autonomous Prefectures in Guizhou, some of the worst-hit places where farming has been made impossible.
Most provinces in South China affected by the drought were hit by a series of floods
2010 South China floods
The 2010 China floods began in early May 2010. 392 people had died, and a further 232 people had been reported missing as of June 30, 2010, including 57 people in a landslide in Guizhou. 53 of the deaths occurred from the flooding and landslides between May 31 and June 3, and 266 deaths occurred...
beginning in mid-May that ended most of the drought but also destroyed large areas of farmland.
Dust storms
Strong dust storms from the Gobi DesertGobi Desert
The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
hit Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by March 22, before being carried across the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
by the jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
, with some dust reaching the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. The dust storm in late March spiralled around a strong low pressure system. Many areas recorded an extremely rare level 5 "hazardous" rating for air quality. Many flights in Beijing were also delayed or cancelled. Air pollution readings in Hong Kong reached a record high, reaching at least 15 times the recommended maximum levels by the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
. Taiwan also reported a new record for worst sandstorm conditions.
A strong sandstorm tore through Turpan in Xinjiang on April 23, sparking fires that killed two people and forcing a shutdown of rail and road traffic for six hours.
Relief
Oxfam Hong Kong provided water in Yunnan. A major fundraiser was also held that raised 280 million yuanChinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
. Many celebrities took part including Wang Feng (汪峰), Elva Hsiao
Elva Hsiao
Elva Hsiao, also known as Elva Siu, was born on 24 August 1979. She is a Taiwanese Mandopop singer.-Biography:She was educated at John Casablanca's College in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is fluent in both written and spoken English. While in Vancouver, she attended the New Talent Singing...
, Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
, He Jie
He Jie
He Jie is a mandopop singer in China. She participated in the 2005 Super Girl competition, where she came to prominence after placing 4th in the 2005 competition.-Albums:-Single:-External links:*...
, Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
, Ye bei (叶蓓), Yan Wei-wen (阎维文), Zhou Xiao-ou (周晓欧), Zhou Bichang
Zhou Bichang
Zhou Bichang , is a Chinese singer and songwriter. She was the first runner-up in the 2005 Super Girl Competition, which is a Chinese version of Pop Idol for female contestants only...
, and Yang-zi (杨紫). The Hong Kong government also approved a HK$1.4 million grant.
Many donations of bottled water
Bottled water
Bottled water is drinking water packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not...
have also arrived in Guizhou and other parts of southwestern China from around the country.
Algal blooms
In mid-June 2010, a large algal bloomAlgal bloom
An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system. Algal blooms may occur in freshwater as well as marine environments. Typically, only one or a small number of phytoplankton species are involved, and some blooms may be recognized by discoloration...
, consisting of enteromorpha
Enteromorpha
Enteromorpha is an outdated sea-plant taxon. Genetic analysis has resulted in the genus Enteromorpha being merged with the genus Ulva, commonly known as Sea lettuce....
algae, developed off the coast of Shangdong, in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
. Causes of the algal outbreak include marine pollution
Marine pollution
Marine pollution occurs when harmful, or potentially harmful effects, can result from the entry into the ocean of chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, noise, or the spread of invasive organisms. Most sources of marine pollution are land based...
from sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
and agricultural
Agriculture in China
Agriculture is an important economic sector of China, employing over 300 million farmers. China ranks first in worldwide farm output, primarily producing rice, wheat, potatoes, sorghum, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, cotton, oilseed, pork, and fish.-History:...
run-off, in addition to run-off from fish farms, worsened by eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
following the drought, subsequent flooding and heat wave, as well as high sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature
Sea surface temperature is the water temperature close to the oceans surface. The exact meaning of surface varies according to the measurement method used, but it is between and below the sea surface. Air masses in the Earth's atmosphere are highly modified by sea surface temperatures within a...
s in the area. The bloom continues to expand, and preparations have been made for a flotilla of vessels to ward off the bloom, covering an area of 400 sqkm, the largest bloom since 2008. The patch of algae since expanded offshore Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
Province, and is pushing toward the city of Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
. The Chinese State Oceanic Administration
State Oceanic Administration
State Oceanic Administration is an administrative agency subordinate to the Ministry of Land and Resources, responsible for the supervision and management of sea area in the People's Republic of China and coastal environmental protection, protecting national maritime rights and organizing...
has warned that the algae could threaten marine life and local tourism, and other scientists have stated that the bloom could decompose on beaches and release toxic gases if not cleaned up. Close to 4,000 tonnes a day of algae is being removed from the bloom, to be sent off and used as animal feed
Animal feed
Animal feed may refer to:*Compound feed, commercial pelleted food produced in a feed mill and fed to domestic livestock*Fodder, food given to domestic livestock, including plants cut and carried to them*Forage, growing plants eaten by domestic livestock....
or fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
. Green and red tide
Red tide
Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon also known as an algal bloom , an event in which estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the water column and results in discoloration of the surface water. It is usually found in coastal areas...
s have become more common in China in recent years. The green tides from the current algal blooms can also result in dead zone
Dead Zone
Dead zone may refer to:* Dead zone , low-oxygen areas in the world's oceans* Dead zone , an area where cell phones cannot transmit to a nearby cell siteDead Zone may also refer to:* "Dead Zone" , a 2011 album by Merzbow...
s from localized ocean anoxia. Large blooms of jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
, including giant Nomura's jellyfish
Nomura's jellyfish
is a very large jellyfish, in the same size class as the lion's mane jellyfish, the largest cnidarian in the world. The diameter of one fully grown is slightly greater than the height of an average fully grown man. The species was named in tribute to Mr...
have also appeared off Shangdong and around the coasts of Japan within the past decade, as a result of the same type of pollution in dead zones.
See also
- 2007 Asian heat wave2007 Asian heat waveThe 2007 Asian heat wave affected the South Asian countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, as well as Russia, Japan and the People's Republic of China. The heat wave ran during the months of May and June, with continues to September in Japan....
- 2010 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa floods
- 2010 Russian wildfires2010 Russian wildfiresThe 2010 Russian wildfires were several hundred wildfires that broke out across Russia, primarily in the west, starting in late July 2010, due to record temperatures and drought in the region...
- 2010-2011 China drought for the drought the following year
- Asian brown cloudAsian brown cloudThe Asian brown cloud is a layer of air pollution that covers parts of South Asia, namely the northern Indian Ocean, India, and Pakistan. Viewed from satellite photos, the cloud appears as a giant brown stain hanging in the air over much of South Asia and the Indian Ocean every year between January...
- China water crisisChina water crisisThe Chinese water crisis threatens the stability and prosperity not only in People's Republic of China but globally as well, according to John McAlister from the film Aquabiotronics. According to the World Bank forecast, Mainland China has only a per-capita share of 2700 cubic meters per annum,...
- Climate change in ChinaClimate change in ChinaClimate change in China is a contentious issue since it is not required to be a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol yet it is responsible for one of the highest levels of greenhouse gas emissions....
- Global storm activity of 2009Global storm activity of 2009Global storm activity of 2009 profiles the major worldwide storms, including blizzards, ice storms, and other winter events, from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009...
- Global storm activity of 2010Global storm activity of 2010The former article was split into three to avoid confusion between the three periods of storm activity.*Global storm activity of early 2010 – January–April 2010*Global storm activity of mid 2010 – May–September 2010...
- Green Wall of ChinaGreen Wall of ChinaThe Green Wall of China, also known as the Green Great Wall or Great Green Wall , will be a series of human-planted forest strips in the People's Republic of China, designed to hold back the expansion of the Gobi Desert...
- 2010 Northern Hemisphere summer heat wave
- Siberian HighSiberian HighThe Siberian High is a massive collection of cold or very cold dry air that accumulates on the Eurasian terrain for much of the year. It reaches its greatest size and strength in the winter, when the air temperature near the center of the high-pressure cell or anticyclone is often lower than...
- Water resources of ChinaWater resources of ChinaThe water resources of China are abundant on average, but are scarce in some regions. About 80% of all water resources are in one river basin, the Yangtze. Water is scarce around Beijing, where groundwater is overexploited. Agriculture is the major water user accounting for 78% of water use...
- Winter storms of 2009–2010 in East AsiaWinter storms of 2009–2010 in East AsiaThe East Asian snowstorms of 2009-2010 profiles the heavy Mongolian, Mainland Chinese , Nepalese, Korean peninsula, Japanese, Kuril Islands, Sea of Okhotsk, Primorsky, and Sakhalin Island winter storms, including blizzards, ice storms, and other winter events, from 8 May 2009, to 28 February...
External links
- Massive China Sandstorm Seen from Space - 23 March 2010
- Fires and Smoke in Eastern China - 6 July 2010
- Heat wave sweeps across China - 5 August 2010