Severe droughts across the Northern Hemisphere — stretching from the farms of California to waterways in Europe and China — are further snarling supply chains and driving up the prices of food and energy, adding pressure to a global trade system already under stress, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Parts of China are experiencing their longest sustained heat wave since record-keeping began in 1961, leading to manufacturing shutdowns owing to lack of hydropower. The drought affecting Spain, Portugal, France and Italy is on track to be the worst in 500 years. In the American West, a drought that began two decades ago now appears to be the worst in 1,200 years. For some of the world’s biggest economies, this summer’s droughts are hurting industries including electricity generation, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. That is compounding existing strains such as supply-chain disruptions stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic.
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