SNA (Tokyo) — The near-disappearance of China’s vital Yangtze River, the mouth of which opens next to the major port of Shanghai, is creating a great deal of consternation, prompting government promises to address the environmental crisis.

This summer, China experienced one of its worst droughts in modern times. According to a report from the Ministry of Water Resources, the amount of rainfall this summer was the lowest since 1961. Extreme heat wrought havoc on many provinces, especially in the middle and southern parts of the country.

According to Yao Wenguang, director-general of the department of flood and drought disaster prevention at the Ministry of Water Resources, “Since July of this year, heat waves and diminished rainfall have hit the Yangtze River basin; the water sources of rivers and lakes have been highly scarce; the water level of rivers and lakes has continued to fall; the drought has become severe.”

Seventeen central government bodies released a joint action plan in mid-September, vowing a series of measures to restore the river to proper health by 2025. Among the areas of focus is to provide clean drinking water to local communities, especially poverty-stricken municipalities.

Indeed, according to Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying, “clean water and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver.” He added that “drinking water security in rural areas is a key indicator for eradicating absolute poverty.”

The falling level of the great river level has also led to a decrease in hydroelectric production and difficulties for the transportation sector.

The impact has been particularly felt in Sichuan Province, where many overseas automakers have factories. This region is highly dependent on hydropower, which has been unable to function at regular capacity due to the low water levels on the river. This in turn has led the authorities to ask businesses to reduce their energy consumption.

Not everyone has been happy about such requests. For example, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, apparently prompted by Tesla, asked the provincial government to prioritize power supplies to the US automaker and its local suppliers, which is competing in the national and global markets to produce battery electric vehicles.

The Yangtze River is the longest watercourse in Asia and is sometimes referred to as China’s “mother river.” It plays a central role not only in Chinese agriculture, but also in economic life more broadly.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, about 36% of the country’s population lives within the Yangtze River basin, and it accounts for about 39% of the nation’s overall economic production.

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