Farmers in Quanzhou County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, transfer drinking water home on December 15.

A severe drought hit Guangxi and neighboring Guangdong Province in south China this winter. Reservoirs and rivers have dried because of a lack of rain, and more than 1.25 million people are battling water shortages in the worst-hit areas.

Crop output for Guangxi this year is expected to be down by about 2.7 million tons, as 75 percent of the farmlands are reportedly being affected.

Local governments have upgraded irrigation projects to ensure water supplies with financial support from the Central Government.