Macau, China Running Out of Water

The city of Macau, China, could run out of drinking water in a matter of weeks due to a severe drought in southern China. Macau is the only Chinese city where casino gambling is legal, and even the briefest spell without water would be a devastating blow to the hotel industry.  Reservoirs across the Chinese border in Zhuhai, which normally supply the gaming hub, have been ravaged by a drought that has affected a vast sweep of southern China and exposed the fragility of the country’s water system.

There hasn’t been any rain in that area for more than 100 days, the longest dry spell for 38 years, reports the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters. Fields are completely parched across eight provinces in northern China, and four million people are without proper drinking water. Major state-run newspapers carried reports of the drought on front pages and news broadcasts showed dry, cracked fields with crops withering in the earth.

Stocks of bottled water may have to be shipped to the city unless a deal can be struck with water companies, who are already under intense strain to keep Hong Kong’s taps running as the water shortage takes hold.