China has been facing its hottest summer on record. A heatwave coupled with drought has put life in one of Asia's booming economies under strain. Everything from electricity, to crops and its manufacturing sector, has been affected.
On Tuesday, China issued a drought alert across the country for the first time in nine years. CNN reported it to be a yellow alert which was the third-highest in China's four-tier system and said that further bad days were to come. Images of dry river beds and people struggling with daily life have made headlines.
The Central Meteorological Observatory advised citizens to avoid going outdoors to protect themselves from the relentless heat.
As China continues to reel under the effects of the drought, here's a look at how life in the country has been affected.
No water for usage, drinking or hydropower
Hundreds of thousands of citizens in China are living without a proper water supply or drinking water. The CNN report cited local authorities as saying that around 830,000 people in six Chinese provinces faced water shortages and around 300,000 people even experienced temporary shortages in drinking water.
Officials also advised residents to conserve water in light of the crisis.
Massive Power Crisis
Parts of the Yangtze River, Asia's longest, have dried up affecting hydro-powered electricity, which accounts for 80 per cent of the electricity supply in some regions of China. There have been widespread power cuts and power rationing in the country, especially in the southwestern Sichuan province.
BBC reported local media as saying last week that several provinces such as Hubei launched chemical-carrying rockets into the sky to induce rainfall.
The extreme heat conditions have also increased the demand for electricity to keep fans and air conditioners on. The CNN report said that this has put extreme pressure on China's power grids.
In Sichuan, the BBC report said, government offices have now been asked to lower air conditioning temperatures to not lower than 26C. In Dazhou, there had reportedly been blackouts for longer than three hours every day.
Crop may be affected
The severe water crisis and drought have affected irrigation in China's farms. This could potentially put China's crops this year at risk, and in turn, affect fresh produce. Even Pay, an analyst at policy research organisation Trivium China told The Guardian, "The kinds of fresh vegetables that supply the local markets where people buy their produce each day – that's the category that is least likely to be in a major irrigation area, and which is not likely to be strategically prioritised in a national push to protect grain and oil feeds."
China's biggest freshwater Poyang has reduced to only 25 per cent of its usual size. It is one of the most important sources of freshwater in the landlocked Jiangxi. Associated Press cited Xinhua News reports as saying that work crews were digging trenches to keep water flowing. The Poyang lake is surrounded by fields where rice, cotton and beans are farmed.
Industries and economy affected
As China grapples to conserve electricity, power cuts have affected its manufacturing industries. A Reuters report said that these curbs have forced factories in Chongqing to down shutters. Chongqing has several factories of automakers. A Honda Motor Corp spokesperson told the news agency, "We don't know what to do until we see what the government tells us for next week."
While the curbs were supposed to last till August 24, they have now been extended till August 25. This was communicated through a notice by Chongqing authorities.
Industries manufacturing solar panels and processor chips in Sichuan were also directed by authorities last week to either reduce operations or shut them down to conserve power for domestic usage.
Malls in Chongqing also have been asked to stay shut for a significant part of the day and open only between 4 pm to 9 pm, reported the Associated Press.
Amid this crisis, it is likely that China's economy will take a hit. Growth projections for China's GDP were slashed by Goldman Sachs from 3.3 per cent to 3 per cent. Japanese financial company Nomura reduced it to 2.8 per cent.
