In December 2022, people in Shenzhen found that water ran more slowly from their taps. The government said the city was facing its most serious water shortage ever.

Some other cities in the southern part of China, like Chengdu and Guangzhou, are also becoming "thirsty", The Paper reported. Compared(相比) with northern areas, southern areas have more rain and are close to more rivers and lakes. So why are they still short on water?

In big cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou, populations(人口) are growing fast. As a result, people and factories need more and more water. Each person in Shenzhen has less than 200 cubic meters of water each year. It's l/12 of the country's average(平均水平). According to the United Nations, it is an "absolute water shortage" when the number is below 500 cubic meters.

Climate change(气候变化) is making the water problem worse. For example, most cities in Guangdong depend on(依赖于) the Dongjiang River as their main source(来源)of water. In 2022, the river was reported to be drying up. Because of climate change, there's also less snow in the mountains of Tibet. The snow has long been the source of water for many areas in China. Those mountains might provide less water in the future.

There are other reasons for water shortages. For example, water pollution makes it harder to get clean drinking water. Factories and farms don't use water efficiently(有效地). Some cities have enough rainfall, but don't have big lakes or reservoirs(水库)to store water. The water just goes into the sea.