China is struck by floods and drought—at the same time
A looming water crisis threatens everything from data centres to farms
IN QUESHAN COUNTY, on the plains of central China, fields that are usually green with maize plants are brown and dusty. It has barely rained for two months and village wells are running dry. “We depend on the Emperor of Heaven to make a living,” says Yang Ning, a grizzled 67-year-old farmer, referring to a deity who controls the weather. “I don’t dare to hope.” The drought, which has affected eight Chinese provinces, is the worst many locals can remember.
Explore more
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Worrying about water”
From the July 6th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from China
America and China are talking. But much gets lost in translation
How linguistic differences complicate relations between the great powers
It’s a good time to be an astrologer in China
In the face of hardship, the country’s youth are embracing superstition
The early days of the Trump administration, as viewed from China
A good start, but it could get worse quickly
How (un)popular is China’s Communist Party?
As the economy falters and the social compact frays, Xi Jinping wants to know
An outrage that even China’s supine media has called out
Anger is growing over a form of detention linked to torture and deaths
Why foreign law firms are leaving China
A number of them are in motion to vacate