China: Drought Devastating for Central Region

Beijing, Jun 4. -The Environmental Protection Ministry on Friday confirmed the negative impact of the long drought on biodiversity and natural resources in the central region.

Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection Li Ganjie described as devastating the consequences of the drought on the quality of water in major lakes of the area, such as the Poyang, Dongting and Honghu.

In a press conference, Li Ganjie said that due to the longest drought in Chinese history, the water levels of natural reserves had dropped drastically in the central zone.

For example, he said, over 1,333 hectares of wetlands east of Dongting are dry.

This situation is affecting migratory birds of the Yangtse River, also hard-hit by the drought.

According to Li, the drought of the Yangtse River has nothing to do with the presence of the Three Gorges Dam, and emphasized that the cause was the drought.

From January to April, the Yangtse River received 40 percent less rainfall than the average over the last 50 years, the local media reported earlier. (Prensa Latina)