Brutal droughts plague China

A villager surveys the dried floor of a reservoir in Shiqian county, Southwest China's Guizhou province, on August 2, 2011. The county is facing the most severe drought since 1959, with 90 percent of its towns and townships struggling with water shortages. About 146,000 people and 51,000 livestock are in need of drinking water. Direct economic loss are estimated at 110 million yuan. [Photo/Xinhua]