Shocking satellite images show impact of extreme drought on world’s rivers

From China’s Poyang lake to France’s Loire river, the images show the impact of climate change on the ecosystem surrounding the river

A painful lack of rain coupled with relentless heatwaves has left China’s Poyang lake shrinking in length and breadth.

Dramatic satellite images taken a year apart show how the lake, which averages around 3,500sqkm at peak season, has contracted following the recent drought and 70 days of intense heat.

The drying of the freshwater lake has also forced crews to dig trenches to keep the water flowing to irrigate crops, while the decline in water coverage of the Jiangxi lake has cut off irrigation channels to neighbouring farmlands in one of China’s key rice-growing regions.