Over 900 million people in over 17 provinces, as well as an estimated 2.2 million hectares of agricultural land in China, have been impacted by the record high temperatures, adversely impacting its food and energy security.
Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, and other areas of the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) continue to experience declining water levels even as the heat wave subsides, reported JustEarth news.
It has led to concerns over China's water and food security in addition to a large decline in hydropower output and ensuing power shortages, presenting issues with the nation's energy security.
Since 1961, reliable statistics have been kept. This summer has been the driest and warmest in China. A drought developed as a result of the intense weather, and it is still getting worse, reported JustEarth news.
Concerns over China's food security issue have already been growing in light of the extraordinary global food crisis and the country's complex geopolitical scenario.
In recent months, senior officials in China have emphasized numerous times the strategic significance of preserving the nation's food security.
President Xi Jinping urged for more actions to defend grain security and farms from rising domestic production after publicly linking food security to China's national security, reported JustEarth news.
The YRB is crucial to China's food security because it produces about 50 per cent of the nation's grain. The drought has already raised serious concerns about how it would affect China's autumn grain production.
China's autumn harvests are in a "critical stage," according to Liu Weiping, vice minister of water resources in China, who made this statement recently.