Drought in Malaysia, Indochina and India is causing concern for officials, who fear a water crisis as water levels in dams and rivers have dropped sharply. Farmers are struggling to irrigate their crops.
Widespread drought and sweltering heat have left much of Thailand as well as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in dire need of water for both crops and residents.
A heatwave in South and Southeast Asia is hitting the region's crops and livestock as the cyclical climate phenomenon known as El Nino absorbs tropical countries' sources of water.
In Malaysia, farmers are staring at a prolonged dry season, topped with escalating temperatures that are hitting 40 deg C.
As dams dry up, the Malaysian authorities say some states have reduced the release of water to be treated at plants and piped to homes.
The drought is expected to last until June and may even drag on till September, with rainfall decreasing by between 20 per cent and 60 per cent.
Most farmers still rely on natural sources of water such as rivers to minimise costs, and with the heat rising, they can only hope that these water sources keep flowing.
Singapore imports most of its vegetables, fruits, poultry and hen eggs from its neighbour, Malaysia. In 2015, official figures show Singapore imported 41 per cent, or 224,800 tonnes, of its vegetables from Malaysia. The island nation also imported 36 per cent of its fruit supply from Malaysia last year.
Farmers say they are not surprised any more by changing weather conditions and can only find ways to adapt.
Source: straitstimes.com