Every year, the months of July and August in the Yangtze River Basin are crucial for flood prevention. However, this year, the precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin is showing a drying trend. Recently, the Yangtze River Commission of the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources issued a notice stating that during the period from mid to late July to early August – known as “Seven Down Eight Up,” the region is experiencing a mix of drought and flood conditions, with drought prevailing over flooding. The water levels of the “Two Lakes” (Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake) are continuously decreasing, leading to significant pressure to ensure drought resistance and water supply.
According to reports from official Chinese media Pengpai News, as of July 18, the water levels at major control stations in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were 3 to 4 meters lower than the historical averages for the same period. The storage capacity of reservoirs in the middle and lower reaches of the river is significantly below normal, with rainfall in the basin showing a dry trend.
Chen Xinguo, a second-level researcher at the Yangtze River Commission’s Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention Division and Drought and Disaster Reduction Division, told local media that after the end of the plum rain season, there has been less rainfall in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the “Two Lakes.” The water levels in these areas continue to decline, and when the drought alert water level is reached at the main control stations in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, urban water supply in these areas will be severely affected.
Therefore, the Yangtze River Commission announced that in mid-July, the water management of the upper reservoirs of the Yangtze River will maintain a reserve of about 12 billion cubic meters of water for drought resistance. This reserve includes approximately 8 to 9 billion cubic meters in the Three Gorges Reservoir, nearly 1 billion cubic meters in the middle reaches of the Jinsha River, about 2 billion cubic meters in the lower reaches of the Jinsha River, and certain drought-resistant water storage in the reservoirs of the Minjiang River, Jialing River, and Wu River.
A former participant in the construction of the Three Gorges Project, Lu Yu (pseudonym), expressed to Dajiyuan his concerns, stating, “The Chinese Communist Party is always acting in haste. They said they were building the Three Gorges Dam for hydropower, but ended up building over 50,000 reservoirs in the Yangtze River Basin, many of which were haphazardly constructed using local materials, resulting in massive deforestation and serious damage to surface vegetation.”
“The natural water storage capacity has decreased, leading to landslides or flash floods of varying degrees with even minor heavy rainfall. During droughts, the reservoirs hold back water, causing water levels downstream of the Yangtze to decrease, with lakes approaching dry conditions.”
Experts from the Yangtze River Commission stated that in recent years, there have been occurrences of anti-drought conditions during the flood season in the Yangtze River Basin, which have also been recorded historically. However, the current trend towards drought during the flood season in the Yangtze River Basin cannot be predicted. They also mentioned that the water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the “Two Lakes” are still declining, but with a reservoir of approximately 12 billion cubic meters of drought-resistant water in the upper Yangtze River, along with coordinated management of water storage in the middle reaches, the basic water supply security of the region can be ensured.
Li Yurong, Deputy Director of the Forecast Center of the Hydrological Bureau of the Yangtze River Commission, stated in an interview with Pengpai News that in recent years, record-breaking heavy rains have occurred in North China and Northeast China, while the Yangtze River Basin has experienced anti-drought phenomena during the flood season, especially severe drought in the region in 2022.
In 2022, the water levels in the Yangtze River Basin decreased significantly, leading to a severe region-wide drought. The cumulative rainfall from July to October in 2022 was the lowest historically since 1961.
On August 18, 2022, the water level in the Ezhou section of the Yangtze River dropped to a record low in 157 years, revealing the ancient “Goddess of Mercy Pavilion,” which has stood in the Yangtze River for 700 years, with its base exposed due to the receding waters.
According to information released by the cultural relics department of Ezhou, the Goddess of Mercy Pavilion, built in the Yuan Dynasty (1345), is a key national cultural relic and has been closed to the public for years. The pavilion consists of a pavilion, three halls, and two floors, covering an area of over 300 square meters. It represents the architectural art characteristic of southern China and encompasses the cultures of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, hence being known as the “First Pavilion of the Yangtze River.”
On September 6, 2022, the Hydrological and Water Resources Monitoring Center of Poyang Lake issued a blue alert for drought. Due to low rainfall and the low water levels of the main stream of the Yangtze River, the water levels of Poyang Lake continued to decrease, with the water level at the Xingzi station of Poyang Lake at 7.99 meters as of 8:00 on the 6th, entering an extremely dry period. This broke the record for the earliest occurrence of an extreme dry period in Poyang Lake, advancing by 85 days from the previous record set on November 30, 2019.
On January 31, 2023, as the water level of the Yangtze River continued to drop, a giant stone carving was discovered on the Jiangbian Road in Nanbin District, Chongqing – depicting a swimming mother with eleven children around her. The carving, named “Long River: Mother’s Ballad,” has a length of 63.87 meters, symbolizing the 6387 kilometers of the Yangtze River. The image of the mother represents the Yangtze, while the eleven children represent the provinces and cities along the Yangtze.
On April 14, 2023, due to the continuous decline in the water level of the Yangtze River, a giant stone carving depicting one hundred sons was found on the Yangtze River beach in Chongqing.
“With the severity of this year’s drought, the Chinese authorities claim to have sufficient drought-resistant water reserves. Now, the people are getting smarter and interpreting official statements in reverse. Many have started stocking up on water, but how much can it really store? This is how the Chinese Communist Party operates – making mistakes and letting the people bear the consequences,” Lu Yu voiced out.