Tibet grapples with worst drought in two decades

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-18 20:01

LHASA - At 66, Yangjen walks at least 3 kilometers every afternoon to carry home two buckets of water -- only enough for cooking and drinking.

Affected by the worst drought in more than two decades, her village in Lhundrup County on the suburbs of Tibet's capital Lhasa has cracks in the field. Crops are withering and every villager, young and old, is praying for rain.

"This is the worst drought I can remember," said Yangjen. Her family's well, which used to provide enough drinking and irrigation water for her family of five, hasn't produced a single drop for a week. "For several nights, I dreamed that it rained."

Villagers worry that the worst is still to come. "Drought has destroyed the highland barley and vegetables. The withered plants can only feed cattle," said villager Chungkyi.

In addition to Lhasa, the drought has hit 27 counties in five of all six prefectures in Tibet, according to the regional drought and flood control headquarters.

It said the drought had destroyed nearly 30,000 hectares of cropland -- about one-eighth of Tibet's total arable land.

"The figure is increasing day by day," said Lan Zhiming, deputy head of the regional agriculture and animal husbandry department. "Our data shows this is the worst drought since 1983."

Records of the regional weather bureau show that most parts of Tibet reported at least a 30-percent drop in rain since summer began in May. In Lhasa, Xigaze and Shannan in particular, precipitation was down by 70 percent to 80 percent.

"In the dry areas, one can dig 40 centimeters into the soil without feeling even the slightest moisture," said Pagor, an official in charge of agriculture in Shannan.

The regional government sounded an emergency alarm Tuesday and has since allocated relief funds and supplies to the worst-hit counties.

"In most counties, excavators are in place to dig deeper wells. We are also preparing to create artificial rain when conditions are ripe," said Gong Tongliang, an official with the regional drought and flood control headquarters in Lhasa.

He said governments were working all-out to provide drinking water for the villagers.

In Dranang County of Shannan Prefecture, a 10-meter deep well that used to provide drinking water for a primary school dried up two weeks ago. The local government has sent a tractor to carry spring water from mountains 2 km away.

Dranang County is one of the worst-hit areas, where no rain has been reported for three months. At least 10 ha of its rapeseed fields have been destroyed.

"Rapeseed is the most profitable crop on the plateau and one hectare yields 3,000 kilograms or 15,000 yuan," equivalent to about US$2,142, said villager Kadron.

He said the county government planned to dig two more wells and build a reservoir, at a cost of 700,000 yuan.

Neighboring Qonggyai County has earmarked 1 million yuan, 20 percent of its annual expenditure, to fight drought, said deputy county chief Tobgye.

Many parts of western China are still feeling the pinch from drought, though heavy rain is hitting most parts of the country.

Prolonged drought over the past seven months has caused water and food shortages for more than 1.37 million people in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the regional government said Monday.

China's most impoverished regions are often also the most vulnerable to climate change, including floods and drought, a report from Greenpeace and aid group Oxfam said Wednesday.