China is struck by floods and drought—at the same time
A looming water crisis threatens everything from data centres to farms
IN QUESHAN COUNTY, on the plains of central China, fields that are usually green with maize plants are brown and dusty. It has barely rained for two months and village wells are running dry. “We depend on the Emperor of Heaven to make a living,” says Yang Ning, a grizzled 67-year-old farmer, referring to a deity who controls the weather. “I don’t dare to hope.” The drought, which has affected eight Chinese provinces, is the worst many locals can remember.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Worrying about water”
From the July 6th 2024 edition
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