'Red alert' for China's largest lake amid unprecedented drought

Poyang Lake lost 90% of its area in less than two months.

REUTERS - THOMAS PETER

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Chinese authorities have issued a "red alert" for the first time for Lake Poyang, in the center of the country.

China's largest freshwater reserve hit its lowest level since 1951 on Friday, September 23.

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With our correspondent in Beijing,

Have we touched the bottom of the lake?

Not yet, but the situation is serious enough to trigger this “red alert”.

The water level of Poyang Lake reached 7.10 meters on Thursday, September 22.

Hydrologists in the central province of Jiangxi had never seen such drying since the records were set up more than 70 years ago.

Due to a lack of rain and a water supply that has decreased by more than 60% with the drought, the great natural reservoir of the Yangtze basin is shrinking to a trickle.

It lost 90% of its area in less than 50 days.

Seeing it contract is not unusual in the summer, it can lose 4/5ᵉ of its surface in the dry season, reaching 1,000 km².

However, this large natural sheet of fresh water is less than 250 km², say the specialists today.

"

Dead Pool

"

The tributaries of the largest river in China are retreating day by day, seeming to draw a huge flower on the dry bottom.

The aerial views broadcast by state media would be almost beautiful if it weren't for the urgency.

The weather forecast does not see any clouds on the horizon.

If it does not rain, the water level could drop below six meters in the coming weeks.

A

which also affects neighboring provinces such as Anhui where ten reservoirs have become “

”, according to the regional water office in comments reported by Reuters.

In other words, impossible to evacuate the water downstream.

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