China's largest freshwater lake shrinking

Poyang Lake's riverbed in East China's Jiangxi province is cracked and dry, Sept 15, 2011. The water level at Poyang Lake – China's largest freshwater lake – is experiencing severe drought conditions, declining at a rate of 10 to 20 centimeters per day and making the water surface contract to less than 1,000 square kilometers, far smaller than the annual average of 2,890 square kilometers during the same period. [Photo/Xinhua]

A dead fish lies on a dried-up riverbed of Poyang Lake in East China's Jiangxi province, on Sept 15. Poyang Lake is China's largest freshwater lake. [Photo/Xinhua]