Home>News Center>China
       
 

Beijing forecasts: Another year of drought
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-04-08 00:49

The nation's capital is facing a sixth straight year of drought, according to water officials, with water levels at two major city reservoirs falling to their lowest point in history.

Zheng Qiuli, an official with the Beijing Water Resources Bureau, said staff there have teamed up with meteorological department officials to try to take advantage of every opportunity to make artificial rainfall this year.

The time span for rain-making has been expanded to between April and September from the previous three month period usually prescribed, said Zheng.

Meanwhile, two airplanes will join in the rain-making battle for the first time along with rockets and ack-acks, she added.

Statistics show that artificial precipitation added 23.8 million cubic metres of water to the city's reservoirs last year.

The amount of rainfall equals 46 times the water volume of the Shichahai Lake in downtown Beijing.

Meteorological experts say Beijing has entered its most severe drought period since 1949.

They predict the amount of precipitation between June and August, which generally makes up 85 per cent of the total precipitation in a year, will only be 400-450 millimetres this year. That is far less than the average 580 millimetres per year experienced over past decades.

At a bureau working conference on Monday, officials announced the agriculture sector and other sectors should prepare for fighting drought again this year.

Ordinary people in Beijing will be impacted by the worsening situation, with price hikes for water expected and water-saving devices likely becoming necessary.

New p water-consuming projects, such as paper making and textile mills, will face a thumbs down from the municipal government.

 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Nation steps up efforts to contain HIV/AIDS

 

   
 

Taiwan election lawsuit put on hold

 

   
 

Call for cosmic cooperation with Europeans

 

   
 

Beijing forecasts: Another year of drought

 

   
 

Cheney visit to foster relations

 

   
 

Judges slated for stricter scrutiny

 

   
  Taiwan election lawsuit put on hold
   
  Judges slated for stricter scrutiny
   
  Call for cosmic cooperation with Europeans
   
  Nation steps up efforts to contain HIV/AIDS
   
  Beijing forecasts: Another year of drought
   
  Shanghai tightens controls on licensing
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Drought, pollution plague Chinese cities
   
Experts: Save the nation from drought
   
Vice premier urges good job in drought relief
   
Beijing embraces water
   
Water diversion helps ease Beijing thirst
  News Talk  
  Sex Education, a necessary evil?  
Advertisement