Adapting to Climate Change: How to Manage Urban Flooding (AI Translation)
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文｜财新周刊 王克柔，冯淙萱、张王丽（实习）
By Caixin Weekly‘s Wang Kerou, Feng Zongxuan, Zhang Wangli (Intern)
窗外的雨越下越大，工作人员做好准备，他们要出发去村里转移安置村民。7月24日—25日，北京市迎来夏季又一轮降水。门头沟也于24日连发暴雨橙色、地质灾害黄色、山洪灾害黄色、雷电黄色以及大风蓝色五个预警。收到气象预警后，北京门头沟区斋堂镇政府的所有工作人员都进入战备状态。
The rain outside intensified. The staff prepared themselves, ready to head to the village to relocate and resettle the villagers. From July 24 to 25, Beijing experienced another round of summer rainfall. In Mentougou, five warnings were issued on the 24th: orange for heavy rain, yellow for geological disasters, yellow for flash floods, yellow for lightning, and blue for strong winds. Upon receiving the meteorological warnings, all staff members of Zhaitang Town Government in Mentougou District, Beijing, entered a state of readiness.
一年前的2023年7月29日—8月2日，北京遭遇“23·7”历史罕见特大暴雨，出现长达83小时的极端强降雨天气，门头沟、房山发生特大山洪及城市内涝灾害，其中门头沟区遭遇有记录以来破坏程度最强、受灾范围最广、经济损失最大的自然灾害，全区全域178个行政村、126个居民小区全部受灾，受灾人口约31万人，约占全区人口的77%，倒塌房屋7787间，严重损坏房屋12925间，城市道路、通信、供排水、电力等基础设施大量损毁，山区镇街供水、供电、通信、交通基本中断。
One year ago, from July 29 to August 2, 2023, Beijing experienced the "23·7" extremely rare torrential rain, resulting in 83 hours of extreme heavy rainfall. This led to catastrophic flash floods and urban waterlogging in the Mentougou and Fangshan districts. Mentougou District faced the most severe natural disaster on record in terms of destruction, scope, and economic loss. All 178 administrative villages and 126 residential communities in the district were affected, impacting approximately 310,000 people, which accounts for about 77% of the district's population. A total of 7,787 houses collapsed, 12,925 houses were severely damaged, and a large amount of urban infrastructure, including roads, communications, water supply, drainage, and power, was severely damaged. Water, electricity, communication, and transportation in the townships and streets of mountainous areas were almost entirely disrupted.
2023年11月10日，习近平总书记在北京、河北考察灾后恢复重建工作时强调，要始终坚持以人民为中心，坚持系统观念，坚持求真务实、科学规划、合理布局，抓紧补短板、强弱项，加快完善防洪工程体系、应急管理体系，不断提升防灾减灾救灾能力。他指出，大涝大灾之后，务必大建大治，大幅度提高水利设施、防汛设施水平。要坚持以人民为中心，着眼长远、科学规划，把恢复重建与推动高质量发展、推进韧性城市建设、推进乡村振兴、推进生态文明建设等紧密结合起来，有针对性地采取措施，全面提升防灾减灾救灾能力。
On November 10, 2023, during his inspection of post-disaster recovery and reconstruction efforts in Beijing and Hebei, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed the importance of adhering to a people-centered approach. He emphasized the need for systematic thinking, realism, scientific planning, and rational layout to address shortcomings and strengthen weak links swiftly. Xi called for accelerating the improvement of flood control and emergency management systems to enhance disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief capabilities. He noted that after significant flooding and disasters, substantial construction and governance improvements are essential to markedly elevate the level of water conservancy and flood control facilities. Xi Jinping highlighted the need to focus on long-term and scientific planning while keeping the people at the center. He stressed integrating recovery and reconstruction with high-quality development, resilient city building, rural revitalization, and ecological civilization construction. Targeted measures should be implemented to comprehensively enhance disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief capabilities.
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- Beijing and Mentougou District grapple with extreme rainfall and floods, significantly impacting infrastructure and displacing residents, leading to comprehensive disaster recovery and future-proofing plans emphasizing resilience and urban flood control.
- Mentougou faced over 500mm of rain in 2023, affecting 310,000 people, and Beijing issued multilevel warnings for heavy rain, flash floods, and geological disasters, stressing systematic emergency management and resilient urban planning.
- Sponge city initiatives evolved into resilient city concepts in China; experts assert that managing urban flooding now requires integrating multiple flood defense strategies and enhancing public disaster awareness and emergency response capabilities.
### Summary
During July 24-25, Beijing faced heavy rainfall that led to intensified efforts to evacuate and resettle villagers in Mentougou District, where multiple weather warnings, including heavy rain and geological disaster alerts, were issued [para. 1]. This follows the "23·7" torrential rain of July-August 2023, which caused severe flooding, infrastructure damage, and impacted approximately 310,000 people in Mentougou [para. 2][para. 5]. The destruction affected all administrative and residential areas in the district, leading to comprehensive recovery efforts [para. 2][para. 5].
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized a people-centered approach for post-disaster recovery, focusing on systematic, realistic, and rational planning to enhance flood control and emergency management systems in Beijing and Hebei [para. 3]. The Beijing Municipal Government aims for basic recovery within a year and long-term high-quality development [para. 3][para. 6]. The Mentougou District's Master Plan (2023-2035) prioritizes flood prevention, urban resilience, and ecological restoration [para. 3][para. 6].
In 2024, extreme weather has escalated, affecting many parts of China. Record-breaking rainfall during the "Dragon Boat Water" and "Plum Rain Season" caused secondary disasters like landslides and significant urban flooding across provinces including Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian [para. 8][para. 9]. For example, Huangshan in Anhui Province faced extreme rains, causing infrastructure damage, including the Fengle Reservoir flood discharge [para. 11]. The situation worsened as regions historically dry experienced severe rainfall, including Henan and Shanxi [para. 8][para. 9].
The China Meteorological Administration predicts increasing extreme precipitation due to climate change, stressing the need for robust urban flood defense systems [para. 10][para. 12]. Concurrently, China's urbanization rate hit 66.16% in 2023, with more mountain areas incorporated into city boundaries [para. 12]. Such urbanization alongside climate change poses challenges, pressing for improved flood management [para. 12][para. 13].
Several experts attribute recent intense rainfall to stable atmospheric circulation, a strong subtropical high over the Western Pacific, and intensified southwest monsoons [para. 13]. These contribute to extreme rainfall characterized by prolonged duration and high accumulation, exacerbating urban flooding [para. 13][para. 14]. Additionally, extreme weather is tied to global warming and post-El Niño atmospheric responses [para. 14][para. 15].
Rapid urbanization has also complicated urban flooding issues. Analysis shows a dramatic reduction in natural water bodies and increased impermeable surfaces in cities like Wuhan led to higher runoff and insufficient drainage [para. 16][para. 17][para. 18]. In many cities, urban planning tenets overlooked historical flood patterns and capacities, resulting in infrastructure unable to manage heavy rainfall [para. 20][para. 21].
Improving urban flood management involves elevated standards but faces financial and logistical challenges. Flood control methods must integrate surface measures, such as sponge cities, with underground drainage systems, and also emphasize coordinated emergency responses [para. 22][para. 24]. Adaptations include building resilient cities, enhancing emergency capabilities, and constructing robust infrastructure for rapid recovery post-disaster [para. 25][para. 26].
Mentougou is adopting a comprehensive approach to flood management, focusing on enhancing valley management, improving river channels, and upgrading emergency response communicates. By integrating modern infrastructure with traditional emergency strategies, the district aims to establish resilient urban systems [para. 29][para. 30].
Reflecting on past disasters, experts stress moving away from deterministic thinking and incorporating adaptive, flexible strategies to mitigate flood damages, highlighting ongoing efforts to bolster urban resilience and disaster preparedness [para. 33].
- July 29, 2023 to August 2, 2023：
- Beijing experienced the '23·7' torrential rain.
- November 10, 2023：
- General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected post-disaster recovery and reconstruction in Beijing and Hebei.
- By the end of 2023：
- China’s permanent urban population reached 933 million.
- April 1, 2024 to April 30, 2024：
- Guangdong experienced record-breaking rainfall for April.
- April 7, 2024：
- The Beijiang River experienced its first flood, marking the earliest flood occurrence since numbered statistics began in 1998.
- May 18, 2024 to May 19, 2024：
- Guangxi experienced heavy rainfall, breaking several historical records.
- June 10, 2024：
- After the Dragon Boat Festival, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian regions experienced 'Dragon Boat Water' torrential rains.
- June 13, 2024 to June 19, 2024：
- Guangxi experienced persistent heavy rain, causing significant flooding.
- June 17, 2024：
- Middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and Jianghuai region entered the rainy season.
- June 20, 2024：
- Huangshan Meteorological Observatory issued a red alert for heavy rain. Fengle Reservoir began flood release due to substantial incoming water.
- July 2, 2024：
- A flood peak passed through Pingjiang County in Hunan Province.
- July 5, 2024：
- A piping hazard caused a breach in the Tuanzhou Dike on Dongting Lake in Hunan Province.
- July 14, 2024 to July 17, 2024：
- Henan Province experienced extremely heavy rainfall, breaking local records.
- July 24, 2024：
- Five warnings were issued in Mentougou: orange for heavy rain, yellow for geological disasters, yellow for flash floods, yellow for lightning, and blue for strong winds.
- July 24 to July 25, 2024：
- Beijing experienced another round of summer rainfall.
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