Drought in Northern China Is Worst on Record, Officials Say.
Officials governing a large area of northern China say their region is suffering from the worst drought on record, leading to crops wilting and farmers and herders growing desperate to get water to farmlands, grasslands, animals and their households.
In recent years, Chinese scientists have attributed extreme weather patterns in China, and especially in northern China, to climate change.
The region of Inner Mongolia and its residents have been hit especially hard by wide fluctuations in the weather.
The United States is historically the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, while China is currently the largest one.
Another large municipal area, Tongliao, has also been severely affected.
Photographs by Xinhua, the state news agency, show crops in dry soil and farmers spraying their fields with water.
At the time, 5.5 million people had joined in efforts to alleviate the drought, Mr. Chen said.
The Chinese government has made great efforts to try to halt or turn back the growth of deserts in northern China, and especially in Inner Mongolia.
The Chinese government has also tried to limit the movements of herders, saying their animals are turning grasslands into desert.