Floods and mudslides plague half of China, The Guardian reported; the other half craves water. And farmers hit by drought are increasingly concerned that it could mean the end of their livelihoods.
What is going on?
Northern and central China are suffering from months of prolonged drought and extreme heat, causing Chinese farmers to postpone planting. This has led to a slowdown in the production of popular crops such as rice, corn and commonly used herbs such as mugwort.
“With advanced technology and artificial rainfall, there would still be hope for us,” one farmer told AFP, per Phys.org. “But if there really is no rain, average people like us will face total crop failure. That’s just the way it is.”
According to Phys.org, another farmer agreed with these gloomy sentiments: “If it really doesn’t rain, all the crops will die.”
Why is this pattern so worrying?
This drought will significantly threaten China’s food supply — already a concern in a country of more than 1.4 billion people — and the global food supply. But what worries experts most is what will happen in coming seasons if these severe droughts continue.
That’s likely, given the weather patterns scientists have been cataloging for decades. Although droughts have long been part of the natural weather cycle, their severity and duration are increasing due to one crucial factor: global warming.
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Global warming is linked to increasingly erratic weather patterns and an increase in extreme weather events. A thick layer of hot air in the atmosphere acts as an atmospheric “steroid,” causing droughts to last longer and, ironically, tropical storms to become more intense.
While farmers in central and northern China are dehydrated by the heat, southern China is being hit by heavy floods and mudslides. This has caused several deaths and many more people are missing, according to Phys.org.
What is being done about this?
Scientists are working on innovative ways to protect crops against drought. This can be done by adapting crops so that they need less water or by experimenting with artificial rain systems. However, the latter is still controversial due to the use of chemicals.
Not every farmer has been hit by a severe drought yet, but the possibility seems to be increasing every day as almost every city faces a threat from climate-intensified weather.
The best thing you can do as an individual is reduce your own carbon footprint to slow global warming. This can be done by supporting green brands, voting for climate activists, growing your own food, switching to an electric car, stopping the use of single-use plastic or joining an environmentally friendly bank.
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