The state agency KCNA reported an unusual and persistent drought affecting much of North Korean territory. With limited infrastructure and a history of food insecurity, the country faces a direct threat to its early-season crops, such as wheat and barley. Sanctions and border closures worsen the lack of agricultural supplies.
Channel repair as a technical response to the crisis 🌾
Faced with the lack of rainfall, authorities have concentrated efforts on protecting crops by repairing gates in reservoirs and irrigation canals. Technical measures are applied to improve plant resistance, such as optimizing the use of available water. However, outdated infrastructure and a shortage of spare parts limit the effectiveness of these actions, leaving farmers in a vulnerable position.
The irrigation plan: hoping the sky doesn't forget ☀️
Meanwhile, in Pyongyang they must be praying for the sky to have mercy, because with old canals and rusty gates, the solution seems more like an act of faith than engineering. If the water doesn't come, perhaps the next official report will talk about how wheat learned to live without it. The drought is persistent, but so is North Korean hope.