Chinese Water Resources Vice Minister E Jingping has warned the local authorities of a rising possibility of natural disasters such as floods and droughts in Chinese major rivers this year.

Also acted as secretary general of China's Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, he alerted local officials against torrential floods, continued droughts and typhoon in some areas.

Major Chinese rivers, including the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, have not seen serious floods in recent years. It increases the possibility of heavy floods this year based on natural rules, he said.

As for drought, the vice minister said inadequate rainfall has plagued Chinese rivers since August last year, The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River have been experiencing a sharp fall in the water level, affecting the water supply for both industrial and agricultural use.

Water flow into the major rivers and lakes has dropped by 40 percent on average, with that of Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake plummeting by 60 percent and 10 percent respectively.

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