China's ability to forecast floods boosted by holistic monitoring network

An increasingly strengthened holistic monitoring network spanning space, air, ground, water bodies, and engineering infrastructures for water resources management has significantly enhanced China's ability to forecast floods, extend warning times, and minimize casualties, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

At a news conference held in Beijing on Tuesday, Yao Wenguang, head of the ministry's department of flood and drought disaster prevention, said the network has significantly strengthened its flood control work concerning forecast, warning, simulation, and response planning.

It synergizes meteorological satellites, rainfall radar networks, rain gauges, and hydrological stations to track rainfall from clouds to rivers in real-time, he stressed.

He said this system, for example, has allowed for rolling and progressive forecasts, effectively extending the lead time for flood predictions while improving their precision.

Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, water resources management authorities across the country have issued more than 2.7 million station-based flood forecasts, he said.

During the time, the flood forecast lead time for major rivers has been extended from three to 10 days, he said. The accuracy rate for forecasts during the key period for flood control on main waterways has now reached 90 percent.

Thanks to the network, the ministry has established a highly efficient flood risk warning system, which ensures alert information reaches frontline flood control personnel and affected populations directly and promptly.

Since 2021, water resources authorities across the country have issued 12,400 flood warnings and more than 1.2 million mountain flood disaster warnings, he said. These efforts facilitated the organized evacuation of almost 15.6 million people from high-risk areas, significantly reducing casualties.

Looking ahead, Yao affirmed the ministry's commitment to continuously improve its capacity for flood and drought disaster prevention "to fully safeguard people's lives and property and maintain overall social stability".