China drought highlights future climate threats

摘要

Born into a farming family in south Yunnan province, China, Zhu Youyong's life has always been tied to the soil. At the age of 54, however, Zhu - now president of Yunnan Agricultural University in Kunming - says he "has never seen such severe drought in Yunnan". Since last September, the province has had 60% less rainfall than normal. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 8.1 million people - 18% of Yunnan's population - are short of drinking water, and US$2.5-billion worth of crops are expected to fail.