 |
| ▲ A government employee in the southeastern city of Gwangju manipulates the water level of a toilet to reduce water use on Nov. 22, 2022, as a severe drought continues in the region. (Yonhap) |
environment ministry-drought
Water supply for South Jeolla Province could be at risk next year due to drought: ministry
SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Yonhap) -- Drought in the southwestern South Jeolla Province is so serious that water supply would be at risk before June next year if the current situation continues, the environment ministry warned Tuesday.
The ministry made the assessment during a meeting with regional governments and the interior, trade and agriculture ministries to find ways to deal with the worsening drought in southern parts of the country, particularly South Jeolla Province.
From January until Sunday, the province received 805.5 millimeters of rain, only 60 percent of what it had in the same period last year, to hit the lowest precipitation in 50 years.
The drought left the water levels in the region's major reservoirs below 60 percent of normal levels.
If such a severe drought continues, most of dams will run out of serviceable water before the next flood season begins in June next year, the ministry said.
To fight an extended drought, the ministry plans to request local communities save water and factories in the region's industrial complexes reschedule maintenance works that require large amounts of water, ministry officials said.
The ministry also plans to come up with emergency water supply schemes for areas especially vulnerable to water scarcity, such as Wando, including the mobilization of desalination vessels capable of producing 300 tons of fresh water per day.
(END)
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
