Discussion with managerial and technical personnel of the Shaoshan Irrigation District

Field trip to the Baima Reservoir

In 2022, a severe drought swept across the globe, causing water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin hit a record low, particularly in the Dongting Lake. The long-lasting low water level in the Dongting Lake brought about serious challenges on water supply, ecological security, and economy and society. In order to effectively adapt to climate change, the team of Research Center for Climate Change (RCCC) of the Ministry of Water Resources, China organized a field survey on the extreme drought and its impacts in the Dongting Lake Basin during February 12-15, 2023.

The survey was led by Professor WANG Guoqing, deputy chief engineer of RCCC, with team members from Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Hunan Water Resources and Hydropower Survey, Design, Planning and Research Co., Ltd., Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, and Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology. The survey mainly focused on the most vulnerable area, known as the "Heng-Shao-Lou Arid Corridor" which covers Hengyang, Shaoyang and Loudi Cities, in the Dongting Lake Basin affected by the drought. Starting from Changsha City, the survey team also investigated the Shaoshan Irrigation Area, the Quanmutang Reservoir Project and the Baima Reservoir, which play an important role in water supply. Based on the survey in the forms of discussions, interviews and field trips, the basic data of meteorology, hydrology and social economy were collected, and the impacts of the 2022 extreme drought on water supply security, ecosystem and irrigation operation in the basin investigated in detail. In addition, the team delved into the role of water project regulation in alleviating drought disasters under extreme climate conditions.

Extreme drought disasters in humid regions have been a hot scientific issue attracting broad international concerns due to their significant impacts on sustainable regional economic development. The field survey has provided a strong support for understanding the formation mechanism of droughts, developing prediction techniques and assessing drought impacts scientifically for humid regions.