Some parts of China have been hit hard by drought this year. In southwest China's Sichuan Basin, in the past two months, the city of Suining has had only half of its usual amount of rain. The drought has affected 174,000 local residents and 34,000 hectares of farmland. About 34.5 million yuan (US$4.3 million) of economic losses have already been caused.

In northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, most areas in the middle part of this region have had no effective rain for more than 600 days. Effective actions have been carried out by local government and farmers to enhance the irrigation work in the struggles against the severe drought.

A farmer checks a dried up rice field in Renli Township of Suining City, Sichuan Province, on Tuesday.

A villager walks by an area of dry farmland in Suining, Sichuan Province on Tuesday.

Local villagers of Baiquanzi village water the land, which was left unused for 2 years because of the consecutive drought, in Zhongning County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on May 9, 2006.

Local villagers of Baiquanzi village water the land, which was left unused for 2 years because of the consecutive drought, in Zhongning County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on May 9, 2006.

Local villagers of Baiquanzi village cover gravels to reduce evaporation on the land, which was left unused for 2 years because of the consecutive drought, in Zhongning County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on May 9, 2006.

A man looks back on a vehicle carrying water provided freely by local government in Haiyuan County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on May 9, 2006.

(Xinhua News Agency, China.org.cn May 11, 2006)