New measures to tackle flood risks

The Ministry of Water Resources has pledged to fully leverage the digital twin system it has developed to enhance flood forecasting, as parts of the country move into a critical flood period.

Digital twins are data-driven digital representations of water bodies and water management infrastructure that provide real-time and evolving pictures of their conditions.

According to the latest forecast, precipitation in the northern parts of Northeast China and vast areas across southern China is expected to be 10 to 20 percent above average in June, the ministry said in a media release on Monday.

It warned that above-alert floods — where water levels rise above a certain threshold — may occur in the coming weeks in several major river basins, including the tributaries of Dongting and Poyang lakes in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the Xijiang and Hanjiang rivers in the Pearl River basin, the Qiantangjiang River in Zhejiang province and the Minjiang River in Fujian province.

Faced with a grim and complex flood-control situation, the ministry said it will strive to prevent casualties, reservoir breaches, failures of major dikes and damage to critical infrastructure.

Priority will also be given to safeguarding urban and rural water supplies, meeting the seasonal irrigation needs of farmland in irrigation districts, and ensuring water supplies for large-scale livestock farms and large animals, the release said.

The ministry has pledged to implement a series of measures to address emerging flood threats to people's lives and property.

For example, it will strengthen monitoring, forecasting and early-warning capabilities, while fully utilizing its digital twin system for water resources management to extend flood forecast lead times and improve forecasting accuracy.

The ministry stressed the critical role of major reservoirs in basin-wide flood mitigation and said it will strengthen the unified and coordinated operation of these projects to enhance flood prevention and disaster reduction.

It also urged water authorities nationwide to make thorough preparations for the activation of flood storage and detention areas.

According to the ministry, since the onset of this year's flood season on April 1, a total of 146 rivers nationwide have recorded water levels that exceed alert thresholds, a 50 percent increase from the average of the same period over the past five years.

The ministry said it has dispatched seven work teams to guide local flood-control efforts in Hubei, Hunan and Guizhou provinces, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, as well as Chongqing.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn