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Yangtze river - will it dry out?

Yangtze river - will it dry out? Throughout history we know that its water resources have been a source of wealth. The river belongs to the whole planet and it is important to all of us.

Let us take a look at the longest river in China and whole Asia. It is also third longest river in the world. The Yangtze river stretches over 6,300km (3,900 miles) from Tibet to the East China Sea. Why do we write about it here?

The Yangtze region is home to 460 million people. According to Thestar.com.my it encompasses the economic powerhouse of Shanghai and accounts for more than a third of China’s GDP.

According to this and other different sources this big river is in danger. That means that everything else in this area but also in global is in danger. We know that China is a huge part of world’s economy and if it encounters problems then every other country will be affected.

The Yangtze River has fallen by about 2 cm (0.8 inches) every five years since the 1980s. That information is based on the analysis of decades of records from ground stations and satellite images.

Throughout history we know that its water resources have been a source of wealth. It has enabled food production and transport. The industrial activities increased and as the result of that more than 1,000 lakes disappeared along the waterway.

But the belief remained that the total amount of water was more or less unchanged. That is based on the premise that all the used water would eventually return to the environment.

Reading the same article as we mentioned in the beginning we can see that a scientist from Beijing added one more detail. The water decline in the Yangtze might be worse than it is estimated. Each day, a large amount of water is drained from the Yangtze. It goes to thirsty cities including Beijing through channels. More than half the water consumption in the capital comes from the Yangtze, according to the municipal authorities.

The life in Yangtze river is also in danger. As the result of increased industrial activities the concentration of pollutants can increase in the river and poison more vulnerable species. The ecological balance could tip towards species that favoured a drier environment. That could lead to the extinction of certain plants and animals.

People living close to this river are not happy because of this situation and they hope that Yangtze river will not disappear. The river belongs to the whole planet and it is important to all of us.