| Global warming harbinger | |
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Droughts and fires |
China
2001 – More than half of the 4,000 lakes in the Qinghai province are disappearing due to drought. The severity of the impact is exacerbated by overpumping of aquifers. Annual average temperature in China has increased during the past century, with pronounced warming since 1980. Most of the warming has been in northern areas, including Qinghai Province, and in the winter.
Reference: Reuters, 2001b. Water sources for China Yellow River dry up- Xinhua. October 10, 2001, Reuters New Service, Beijing, China. http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/12711/story.htm
NCDC, 1999. Area averaged temperature time series for China, India, and the United States. National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC. http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/doe/doe.html
