In China, the heat wave and the drought jeopardize the harvests

Published on: 08/24/2022 – 12:02 The heat wave and drought in China pose a “serious threat” to the autumn harvest, authorities warned on Wednesday, at a time when the country, vulnerable in terms of food, faces record temperatures. The consequences of the heat wave that is currently crossing China are multiplying. Record temperatures, which are causing rivers to dry up, are now jeopardizing crops, warned authorities on Wednesday, August 24, who fear for the food security of the Asian giant. Since the start of its meteorological records in 1961 , China had never experienced such a hot summer, a historic heat wave both in its duration and in its magnitude. , while for two months, many Chinese cities have been living to the rhythm of daily high heat alerts, forcing the authorities to ration electricity.>> To read also: “Wastewater, sea water, rain… in search of new sources against drought “These weather conditions represent a challenge for agriculture, in a country already in normal times with a shortage of arable land. The drought is particularly problematic for rice and soybean crops, which are very water-intensive. In this context, several ministries called on Tuesday to take measures to protect crops and to use every drop of water “parsimony”. The rapid spread of the drought, exacerbated by high temperatures and heat damage, poses a serious threat to autumn agricultural production,” said a notice published in particular by the Ministry of Agriculture. Security food in question In recent months, specialists have already been worried about the country’s harvests, due to health restrictions against Covid which are disrupting trade and logistics and delaying sowing in the spring. Food security is a sensitive subject in China because the country has in its history been hit by episodes of famine. China provides more than 95% of its rice, wheat and corn needs. But poor harvests risk increasing imports from the world’s most populous country, at a time when the supply of cereals is already being undermined by the war in Ukraine. The drought could cause the loss of 20% of the harvest, estimates Faith Chan, associate professor of geographical sciences at the University of Nottingham Ningbo (China). “But that will depend on the evolution of the heat wave which could last another one or two weeks”, according to him. Several large cities record the hottest days in their history, with up to 45 ° C recorded in the South-West of the country. “This is the worst heat wave ever recorded” in China, assures AFP the climate and energy manager of Greenpeace for East Asia, Liu Junyan, based in Beijing. And “the impact of climate change is intensifying (…), so it is likely that heat records will be broken again next year”, he adds. ), where 31 million people live, has been on the podium of the hottest cities in China for several days. “I’m too hot to sleep at night and every morning I wake up from the heat,” sighs a student aged 20-year-old met by AFP, Xu Jinxin. Neighboring Sichuan province broke a new heat record on Wednesday: 4 3.9°C. At the beginning of August, the Chinese meteorological services acknowledged that the country has seen its temperatures rise twice as fast as the world average since 1951, a trend that is expected to continue in the future. For its crops, China is trying to artificially cause rain by launching projectiles charged with silver iodide into the sky, according to images from public television CCTV. hydraulic dams, also forces the authorities to ration electricity locally, at a time when the inhabitants are running air conditioners at full speed to cool off. The lack of water is crucial, particularly in the province of Sichuan (South-West), which has nearly 84 million inhabitants and is 80% dependent on dams for its electricity. As a cost-saving measure, many factories and businesses have suspended their activity, while shopping centers in Chongqing can no longer open than and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The city has also reduced the lighting in the subway and turned off its billboards. These difficulties also pose a challenge to the economic heart of China, where the coastal regions of Jiangsu and Zhejiang as well as Anhui (east) are supplied by Sichuan electricity. With AFP