During the flood season, drought resistance cannot be neglected
In recent times, while the flood situation in North China and Northeast China has received much attention, the drought in Northwest China has also continued to spread, touching people's hearts. Affected by continuous rainfall and insufficient inflow of water, droughts have occurred in central and western Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia and other areas, which have had adverse effects on rural water safety, drinking water for large livestock, and the growth of autumn crops.
In response to the drought situation, since July, the water conservancy department has scientifically adjusted the main streams of Longyangxia Reservoir and Liujiaxia Reservoir, maintaining a cross-sectional flow rate of 1000 cubic meters per second to 1300 cubic meters per second in Lanzhou, ensuring the water demand for Yellow River irrigation in the four provinces of Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia. Various measures such as restricting water diversion, closing the entire line, and flood control have been taken to alleviate the contradiction between ecological water use in the lower reaches of the Heihe River and agricultural irrigation in the middle reaches to the greatest extent. However, it should be noted that according to forecasts, there will still be less rainfall in some areas of the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin in the future, and drought conditions in some areas may continue to develop, making the drought resistance situation not optimistic.
As the saying goes, if there is a flood, there will be a drought. Although drought does not come as rapidly as floods, its coverage area is wide, duration is long, and destructive power is often more severe. Crops may experience reduced yields in light cases and crop failures in severe cases, which can have a significant impact on the production and daily water use of the people, as well as the drinking water for livestock. Therefore, there should be no negligence in drought resistance and water supply capacity. Currently, crops in Ningxia, Inner Mongolia and other regions are in the irrigation period, which is also a critical period for yield formation, and there is a high demand for agricultural water. Water conservancy departments at all levels should closely monitor the development and changes of drought, adhere to precise scope, targets, time periods, and measures, and minimize the impact and losses of drought disasters.
We need to comprehensively grasp the situation of precipitation, river inflow, and engineering water storage, increase communication and consultation with meteorological, agricultural and rural, emergency and other departments, timely analyze and evaluate the development trend of drought, and propose corresponding solutions. Establish a list and ledger for each region and project affected by drought, understand the water shortage situation in arid areas, and strive to shift from focusing on post disaster assistance to focusing on pre disaster prevention.
Hydraulic engineering is a powerful tool for flood control and drought resistance. We need to coordinate the water demand in all aspects, strengthen real-time scheduling of reservoirs, accurately grasp the water diversion plan, dynamically track the water diversion situation, and ensure the water diversion capacity of the water intake. We also need to adopt measures tailored to local conditions, such as using backup water sources, constructing emergency water source projects, and transporting water to ensure the safety of drinking water for urban and rural residents, as well as ensuring the safety of large-scale aquaculture and drinking water for large livestock.
During the drought resistance period, water resources are more precious. In drought stricken areas, measures such as mandatory water conservation, water restrictions, and phased water supply should be scientifically used. The public should be mobilized to use water cellars and tanks to store water in advance, advocating for water conservation. While prioritizing the protection of drinking water for humans and animals, efforts should be made to ensure timely and appropriate irrigation of crops in irrigation areas.
Currently, China is still in the main flood season. The situation of frequent local rainstorm continues, and mountain torrential geological disasters, floods in small and medium-sized rivers, and reservoir levees are still relatively prominent safety risks at present. In terms of drought, it is expected that by the end of August, most of the arid areas in the northwest will still have no effective rainfall. All regions should adhere to the dual measures of flood and drought prevention, strengthen monitoring, forecasting, and early warning, and carry out various defense work strictly, practically, and meticulously. Special attention should be paid to preventing sudden changes in drought and flood caused by local heavy rainfall in arid areas, and preparations should be made to firmly defend the bottom line of water and drought disaster prevention.
