Extreme heat and record-low rainfall have left an agricultural reservoir in Milyang, Gyeongsangnam-do, almost completely dry [1].

This water shortage threatens the livelihoods of farmers in four local villages who rely on the reservoir for irrigation. Without immediate intervention, the lack of water during the critical growing season could lead to widespread crop failure for the region's rice farmers.

Water levels in the reservoir have plummeted to approximately 1% [1]. This decline is the result of a prolonged period of heatwaves and a lack of precipitation that has reached its lowest point since 1994 [1]. The drought conditions persisted through early July 2024, as heatwave warnings remained in effect across the province [1].

The physical impact on the landscape is severe. The reservoir bed, which normally holds the water necessary for local agriculture, is now exposed and parched. An anonymous local farmer said the ground is cracked like biscuits and that the soil crumbles effortlessly when held in the hand [1].

Local residents expressed deep concern over the stability of their food supply and income. Seok Cha-gyun, a resident of Muan-myeon in Milyang, said the situation is very serious [1].

The reservoir serves as the primary water source for several villages in the Muan-myeon area. The combination of high evaporation rates caused by the heat and the lack of incoming rainfall has created a crisis for the agricultural sector in Gyeongsangnam-do [1].

“The ground is cracked like biscuits.”

The depletion of the Milyang reservoir to 1% capacity highlights the increasing vulnerability of South Korean agriculture to climate volatility. When essential infrastructure fails to withstand record-breaking droughts—such as the lowest rainfall since 1994—it indicates a need for updated water management systems to prevent total crop loss during extreme weather events.