The term 'reservoir' is trending after satellite images were released that intuitively reveal the severity of the extreme drought in the southern region. Beyond just statistics in the news about a lack of rain, the sight of dried-up reservoirs seen from space has come as a major visual shock to the public.

The situation is more serious than expected, according to satellite analysis data released by the local startup Telepix. The surface area of Okcheon Reservoir in Changnyeong, Gyeongnam, has shrunk by a staggering 88.8% over the past year. What was full in late July last year has withered to almost nothing by early August this year. The water storage rate has also plummeted from 82.5% to 11.1%. The storage rate of Daegok Dam in Ulsan has dropped to a single-digit 7.9%, and Okjeong Lake in Imsil, Jeonbuk, has also seen its water level recede, exposing a dry, cracked basin the size of hundreds of football fields.

The primary reason these reservoirs are hitting rock bottom is that cumulative rainfall in the southern provinces over the past two months hasn't even reached half of the average. The average storage rate for agricultural reservoirs nationwide is currently 48.0%, a historic low far below the average of 68.1%. Some areas, including Miryang in Gyeongnam, have already elevated their agricultural drought status to 'severe' as they scramble for water. The clear warning light from the sky is no longer just a climate alert—it is a reality threatening our tables and daily lives.

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