North Korea facing “severe” drought: state media

North Korea is facing an "unusual" and "severe" drought this year and is working to protect crops, the country’s official Korean Central News Agency reported on Thursday.

Natural disasters tend to have a major impact on the isolated country due to its weak infrastructure and struggling economy.

In February, Elizabeth Salmón, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, said food shortages were already a major concern in the country.

The state news agency reported that "an unusual drought has recently persisted across most parts of the country, a phenomenon rarely seen in previous years."

It added that "workers in various regions are focusing all efforts on protecting early-season crops from drought."

South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy, also experienced a prolonged drought last year that affected the eastern coastal city of Gangneung.

That dry spell prompted authorities to impose water restrictions, including shutting off 75% of household water meters across the city.

The agency said that "cities and provinces are responsibly carrying out repairs to reservoir gates and waterways in line with reduced water supplies caused by the severe drought."

It added that workers are also implementing "technical measures to reduce drought damage," strengthen the resistance of wheat and barley to drought conditions, and ensure the stable growth of early-season crops.

Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and intense, while experts say the seasonal El Niño phenomenon is likely to return this year.