Pollution, drought threaten China's water resources

The water level on China's longest river, the Yangtze, has hit a record low this winter.

On January 8, the water level on the Yangtze was just 13.98 meters, the lowest in 142 years, according to measurements conducted by the Hankou hydrological station in Hubei Province.

The water shortage is likely being aggravated by the exceptionally dry autumn on the upper reaches of the river, and the situation will continue to worsen in February, CRI writes.

More and more of the riverbed is exposed, which has lead to more frequent ship groundings.
According to the locals in Hubei Province's Jianli County, hundreds of ships have been stranded on the drying river along a stretch of several kilometers.

The low water level will also make pollution problems more serious, experts warn. The local wildlife and people are also suffering from the situation. In Jianli County, for example, the drinking water supplies of 200,000 people are under threat of depletion.

The decrease in water volumes is attributed to a prolonged dry season, which used to last only three months, but which now starts earlier and lasts longer. Traditionally, the lowest water level is reached on the Yangtze in February.

The condition of the river has also sparked concern overseas. This week, China Daily reported of the launch of a program to protect the river by crystal giant Swarovski. According to Swarovski China director Shi Zheng, more than 10,000 students from 20 schools and their teachers will take part in the project.

Meanwhile, pollution in some of China's coastal areas remains "severe," according to a report released Tuesday by the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

However, last year, the total size of China's polluted coastal areas dropped by 4,000 square km from the previous year to about 145,000 square km

The most heavily polluted coastal areas are Liaodong Bay, Bohai Bay, Yellow River Estuary, Laizhou Bay, Yangtze River Estuary, Hangzhou Bay and Zhujiang River Estuary, Xinhua writes.