World

China's Flood Crisis: New Measures to Support Affected Communities

2025-06-28

Author: Yu

China Responds to Record Flooding with Expanded Support

In a dramatic response to the catastrophic flooding plaguing parts of the country, China is ramping up its economic safety nets for communities hit hard by extreme rainfall. The central government has announced plans for direct compensation to those impacted by flood control measures, including payments for livestock losses.

Managing Flood Waters Amid Growing Tensions

As extreme rainfall becomes more frequent, authorities are increasingly redirecting floodwaters to adjacent areas, which were previously underutilized. However, this shift has raised significant social tensions due to the loss of farmland and homes, especially in regions filled with farms and residential communities.

New Rules for Compensation: A Game Changer?

Recent updates to compensation guidelines provide a crucial boost: the central government will now cover 70% of compensation costs related to flood diversions, up from a flexible system based on local economic losses. This means that local governments will only need to handle the remaining 30%. Furthermore, the scheme now includes compensation for livestock and poultry that cannot be relocated in time, a significant expansion from previous policies that only covered losses for working animals.

A Summer to Remember: Nearly One Million Displaced

The summer of 2023 brought unprecedented challenges, particularly in Hebei province, where nearly 1 million residents were evacuated as record rainfall forced officials to divert water from rivers into populated areas. This controversial measure has sparked outrage as homes and farms were sacrificed in a bid to protect the capital, Beijing.

A Sweeping Network of Flood Diversion Areas

Currently, China has 98 designated flood diversion zones across major river basins, including the critical Yangtze River basin, which houses one-third of the nation's population. During the catastrophic floods in Hebei this year, eight of these flood storage areas were activated to manage the stormwater effectively.

Unprecedented Rainfall Records Shatter Expectations

Officials from the China Meteorological Administration have reported staggering rainfall levels, particularly in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze, which were recorded at nearly double the average. Other provinces, including Hubei and Guizhou, have also witnessed daily rainfall totals that shattered previous records, prompting urgent flood mitigation efforts.

Guizhou Faces a 50-Year Flood Crisis

This week, the city in Guizhou province experienced flooding on an extraordinary scale, described by meteorologists as a once-in-50-years event. The rapid onset of the disaster left 300,000 residents reeling, prompting swift action from Beijing to move vulnerable populations and industries to safer, low-flood areas. This is part of a larger strategy to bolster flood resilience and allocate more resources for effective flood diversion.