China Spends $1 billion to Tackle Drought

Following the United Nation's warning earlier this week about about the drought in China, the Chinese government is expected to invest about $1 billion to help alleviate the stresses of the issue. The government plans to spend around the billion to divert water to affected areas and irrigation facilities. The main affected provinces include Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, Hebei and Shanxi, which together account for about 60% of the wheat planted this winter. As China is the world's largest producer of wheat, this serious issue affects the entire world, not just China. Some 2.57 million people and 2.79 million livestock are suffering from drinking water shortages as well. On Wednesday, Beijing got its first snowfall, the first form of precipitation in more than three months. The precipitation is unlikely going to end the drought however, or even have a significant impact on the drought areas.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/china.weather/index.html

-Kristine Zizis