Huaihe River authorities drive flow of new safety measures

Battle for land

In May, Bengbu hosted a national flood control conference, where officials and experts warned of a growing possibility that severe flooding could occur on the Huaihe this year.

Despite the warning, Wang and his fellow villagers have sown crops on the land between the riverbank and the sluice gates, even though they know the area will be the first to be hit by any floods.

Wang's family of six farms less than 3,000 square meters of land in the Mengwa area.

Data from the provincial government show that each of the basin's residents farms an average of less than 700 sq m of land. In the first nine months of last year, more than 8,600 villagers earned less than 3,000 yuan, so the local government provided subsidies and employed poverty alleviation measures.

When floods come, the people withdraw, only returning when the water recedes.

Though the local government has moved thousands of villagers from the flood retention area to safer places, huge challenges remain. Some villagers still live in low-lying areas, while some of the safe places are so crowded that people need to be relocated.

Safe places include the riverbank and new villages built on high, artificial platforms inside the basin, as well as urban areas.

In September, the provincial government issued plans for safety measures for people living along stretches of the Huaihe in Anhui.

It plans to move more than 640,000 people from their homes before the end of next year, and either rebuild their houses in the basin or on the riverbank, or relocate them to towns and cities.

In total, the project will cost about 32 billion yuan ($4.6 billion), according to government estimates.

However, not only are the villagers unwilling to leave their homes, but the document also acknowledges several other problems.

For example, the compensation being offered is relatively low, compared with similar projects, and while villagers will be given new homes free of charge, they will only receive about 16,000 yuan each for leaving their old homes.

To boost the relocation program, the Funan government has promised to help at least one member of each rural household find a job, meaning families will not be reliant on farming.

Another difficulty lies in the construction of safety projects, because they require more land, a commodity that is severely limited.

Attempts to solve the Huaihe River's problems also include improving the weather forecasting system.