Burmese residents endure nationwide drought - 7 Sep 2010  
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Burmese residents endure nationwide drought.
Record-high temperatures this year of up to 47 degrees Celsius have resulted in hundreds of heat-related deaths as well as ongoing drought across Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Widespread water shortages have consequently impacted several parts of the country such as Shan state, where Lake Inle, which serves as the nation’s second largest freshwater reserve, dropped to half its normal level this summer. Not only were the 70,000 people affected who live around the lake, but also many rare species that inhabit its waters.

The Mekong River, flowing through Myanmar as well as several other Southeast Asian countries and essential to the livelihood of some 60 million people, is also at a 50-year record low.

We are saddened to hear of the serious situation in Myanmar, and we pray for the blessing of gentle rain for the Burmese people. May the natural balance of our environment soon be restored through our wiser, planet-cooling choices.

As part of her frequent endeavors to ensure humanity’s welfare, Supreme Master Ching Hai addressed the increasing global warming-related water crises and how to most quickly minimize them during an interview published in the December 16, 2009 edition of The Irish Dog Journal.

Supreme Master Ching Hai : Other devastating effects of climate change have already been occurring: And as a consequence of these environmental impacts, 2 billion people are facing water shortages, and 20 million people are in a desperate state – like refugees except with no official protection.

As drought and water crises are spreading silently across the globe, affecting 44% of the world’s population, even triggering conflicts in some areas, the livestock industry is guzzling much of our precious fresh water.

If we really want to conserve our clean, safe water for ourselves and our children, we must stop livestock production and adopt the plant-based diet.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/KHII-88F8N8?OpenDocument