Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – Due to the lack of precipitation in the last few months in the majority of the northern part of the continent, where the majority of the winter grain is produced, a state of emergency has been declared in 7 provinces. According to information gathered by Agenzia Fides, from October 2008 to February 5, 2009, the arable lands affected by the drought cover an area of 155 million Mu (1 Mu is 666,66667mq), affecting 4.29 million people, over 130,000 people have had difficulty in accessing drinking water, and 2.07 million head of cattle have been hit by the drought. The economic damages are estimated to be around 1.6 billion Yuan (nearly 160 million Euros). Efforts are being made to fight the drought using irrigation waters.
“Fighting the drought begins with me” is the name of the campaign launched by Jinde Charities, the charitable service entity of the Chinese Catholic community, at the end of their meeting held on February 10, calling for protection and respect for Creation. On the same occasion, an Emergency Aid Office was formed to assist the area seriously suffering from drought. The website of the Catholic Jinde Charities has opened a special web page to provide updates on the situation, with concrete suggestions on a daily basis as to how to save water through protection and respect for Creation. They have also presented a series of facts that can help people to realize the importance of saving every drop of water possible. For example, if someone brushes their teeth or washes their hands with the faucet running for 30 seconds, they will use 6 liters of precious water. If, instead, they use a glass or close the faucet while they soap-up their hands, they only consume 0.6 liters of water. That means that twice a day, a family of 3 could save up to 486 liters of water. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 12/02/2009)
