More than one billion yuan in anti-drought funds have already been appropriated.

According to the local hydrologic and water resources bureau, between July 1 and August 20 this year, the province received only 110 millimeters of rain, the lowest for the same period in 53 years. Frequency analysis shows severe droughts are expected about every 100 years.

This spring and summer's drought has caused heavy loss for the province.

By September 10, a total of 3.62 million hectares of crops had been affected, including 1.17 million hectares seriously suffering and 470,902 hectares expecting no yield, according to local drought and flood control officials.

Some 60 county-level cities in the province, and 3.66 million people, are suffering from a shortage of water. Shandong has a combined total of 3.68 billion cubic meters of water stored, 3.15 billion cubic meters less than the same period during the past five decades.

The persistent drought has also caused loss to the industrial sectors of the province. Some enterprises have had to slash production, and the country's largest printing and dyeing facility has even been forced to shut down.

(eastday.com September 23, 2002)