China's shrinking 'kidney' lake lays bare growing climate challenges

A view of pagodas on Louxingdun island that usually remain partially submerged under the water of Poyang Lake which is facing low water levels due to a regional drought in Jiangxi province, China. (Reuters photo)

POYANG LAKE, CHINA: Normally surrounded by water in August, a pagoda-topped island in China’s Poyang Lake is now fully visible, testifying to the dramatic impact of a long drought and heatwave on a vital part of the country’s irrigation infrastructure.
China’s biggest freshwater…