China's leading water officialurged local authorities to be better prepared to fight against large-scale drought and seasonal flooding that may hit China this year.
Friday's China Daily quoted Wang Shucheng, minister of Water Resources, as saying that signs have indicated that China is likely to face an increasing possibility of drought and serious shortages of water resources.
The National Research Center for Marine Environment Forecasts has announced that the weather phenomenon El Nino will hit China in April or May.
It means that north China will probably experience high temperatures and drought this summer, while southern China is likely to be affected by flooding.
Damages could possibly be mitigated with well-prepared anti-flood forces and facilities, Wang said.
He called on local governments to try every possible means to find new water resources and adopt more water-saving measures to ensure a bumper grain harvest this year.
(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2002)
