Irrigation upgrade shields farmers from floods, drought

An upgrade in irrigation facilities is proving a major bulwark against drought and floods for residents of Tongdao, a county in Hunan province and a major residential area for the Dong ethnic group.

Wedged in the mountainous region between Hunan and Guizhou provinces, as well as the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the Dong people have been farming rice paddies for hundreds of years.

Their work relies on weather conditions, as floods and drought can wreck a year's toil.