BEIJING, June 12 -- China's Ministry of Water Resources on Wednesday activated a Level-IV emergency response to drought in eight provincial-level regions.

Since the beginning of May, low precipitation and high temperatures have led to drought across vast parts of the country, including Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi and Gansu, according to the ministry.

It projects the drought is likely to linger or deteriorate over the next 10 days, urging local governments to leverage water transfer and irrigation facilities to ensure an adequate supply of water.

Also on Wednesday, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters dispatched two working teams to Shandong and Henan -- two provinces that have been severely affected -- to provide disaster relief instruction.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has called on relevant government departments to monitor drought conditions, formulate emergency contingency plans, and strengthen guidance on agricultural techniques.