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China’s Record Drought Could Be Bad News for the Global South

by Cobus van Staden
China recorded the hottest August on record, prompting fears of persistent drought as evidenced by this parched river bed along the Yangtze River in the southwestern city of Chongqing. STR / AFP

China is suffering through its hottest summer in history. Climate change-related heatwaves have dried up rivers, caused urban blackouts, and depressed economic output.

It is also triggering long-term anxieties about food security. China’s history of famine is a key reason, but food security has also been integrated into the Xi administration’s broader emphasis on national security. 

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