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Dramatic climate shifts due to global warming

By Wang Qingyun (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-06-10 15:07

Chen Zhenghong, senior engineer at the Meteorological Bureau of Central China's Hubei province, said the sharp shift between drought and flood in East and Central China was a result of global warming, Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday.

Related readings: From drought to floods and mudslides in C China  Rain brings floods and drought relief  Rain eases central China drought; causes floods

Chen Zhenghong's statement was backed by Chen Jin, vice-president of the Yangtze River Science Academy. According to Chen Jin, Yangtze River contributes only 1.8% to its reaches' precipitation, and the Three Gorges Dam has moderate influence on the river's hydrology.

There are more than 40,000 reservoirs on the Yangtze River and its branches, and more than 2,400 hydropower-stations built or under construction. The rare and extreme climate transition underlines the lack of coordination among the facilities managed by various authorities, which hinders effective water flow to relieve droughts and floods.

What's more, facilities in need of maintenance further weaken its ability to handle disasters. "More than 70 percent of the county's small reservoirs are in disrepair," said Liu Daorong, deputy head of water resources bureau of Yangxin county, Hubei province. "They can't discharge enough water to relieve droughts, nor can they help relieve floods, for they are not allowed to restore water to full capacity."