A record-breaking drought has caused some rivers in China – including parts of the Yangtze – to dry up, affecting hydropower, halting shipping, and forcing major companies to suspend operations, Report informs, citing The Guardian.
The loss of water flow to China’s extensive hydropower system has sparked a “grave situation” in Sichuan, which gets more than 80% of its energy from hydropower.
Last week Sichuan suspended or limited power supply to thousands of factories and rationed public electricity usage due to the shortage.
The Yangtze is the world’s third largest river, providing drinking water to more than 400 million Chinese people, and is the most vital waterway to China’s economy. It is also crucial to the global supply chain, but this summer, it has reached record-low water levels, with entire sections and dozens of tributaries drying up.