Kunming (CNS) –Having been plagued by drought for three years, 2.5 million local residents in southwest China's Yunnan Province face a shortage of drinking water, according to the Yunnan government.
Yunnan's total average precipitation is merely 841 millimeters by November 3, the least precipitation ever recorded for the same time of the year. The amount of water stored in ponds and reservoirs of the province only reached 58% of this year's target, with a total of 4.44 billion square meters, the lowest level over the past 17 years.
A total of 2.5 million residents and 1.32 million livestock lack drinking water. The drought has resulted in a direct economic loss of almost 8 billion yuan (1.26 billion USD).
Yunnan will probably experience the severest drought between May and March next year, which could be another drought year, according to the Yunnan meteorological department.
Yunnan has spent 769 million yuan fighting against the drought, providing drinking water to 2.356 million people and 1.32 million livestock.
