Locals in Yingde, in the southern province of Guangdong, say the current floods are the worst they have ever seen. Yet there have been no reported deaths
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskYet there have been no reported deaths in Yingde in June and July, despite the severity of the flooding. This is telling. Between 1990 and 1999, there were more than 1,000 deaths across China from flooding and landslides every year and, in three of those years, more than 3,000. Since 2011 the toll has topped 1,000 only twice. Data are imperfect and the government tries to hide its failures.
The government has got much better at moving people to safety. In 2020’s rainy season, 4.7m people were evacuated from floods, nearly 50% more than the average of the previous five years. More accurate weather forecasts and fast communications are crucial. Villagers in Yingde were warned on WeChat, a ubiquitous messaging app, that a flood was coming and they should be ready to flee.
Despite lower death tolls, China’s age-old battle against floods is likely to get harder as extreme weather becomes more common. China is “probably the most exposed of any large country or economy” to climate risks, says Mr Moore. For one thing, river dams do not protect against rising sea levels. More investment in building sea walls will be needed, he says.
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