Natural disaster management a priority

The Ministry of Water Resources announced on Wednesday that it will prioritize enhancing China's flood and drought control systems this year, as the nation grapples with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events driven by the climate crisis.

The pledge came in a statement released after the ministry's annual work conference, held on Monday and Tuesday, which reviewed 2024 achievements and set goals for the year ahead.

Reflecting on its handling of widespread flooding and drought disasters last year, the ministry urged heightened vigilance among officials in response to extreme weather conditions.

China's seven longest rivers experienced 26 major flooding events last year, with 1,321 waterways across the country rising above flood control warning levels, the statement said. Of these, 67 rivers recorded their most severe deluges on record.

Severe droughts also affected large areas of Southwest China, North China, Northwest China, and regions between the Yellow and Huaihe rivers, it added.

Despite these challenges, the ministry highlighted its success in mitigating disasters, emphasizing that efforts "effectively safeguarded lives and property while minimizing disaster-related losses to the utmost degree". This accomplishment contributed to China's record grain output of 700 million metric tons in 2024, it noted.

Looking ahead, the ministry warned of an increasingly dire situation as extreme weather events become more frequent, calling for sustained vigilance and a deeper understanding of the nation's still-inadequate flood defense capabilities.

The statement underscored the urgent need to accelerate the modernization of China's flood control and disaster mitigation systems to "proactively tackle challenges posed by extreme weather conditions".

The ministry outlined eight priorities for 2025, with enhancing flood and drought control systems at the top of the list. Beyond engineering improvements, the ministry aims to strengthen monitoring and forecasting systems and better coordinate related efforts. It plans to leverage information technologies to advance water resource management.

By promoting a space-air-groundwater integrated monitoring system, the ministry intends to expedite the establishment of digital twins for river basins, water networks and management projects, enabling more intelligent oversight.