China sees smooth progress in flood restoration, repairing 4,588 sites

China has announced significant advancements in its flood restoration initiatives throughout 2023, successfully repairing a total of 4,588 damaged sites so far, said Chen Min, Vice Minister of Water Resources on Friday.

This progress underscores the country's commitment to swift disaster recovery and improving infrastructure resilience in the face of extreme weather events.

From late July to early August in 2023, several areas in northern China, including Beijing and its neighboring Hebei Province and Tianjin Municipality, experienced rare rainfall and floods after Typhoon Doksuri moved inland, causing casualties and inflicting damage, said Chen.

Post-disaster reconstruction was then undertaken at an accelerated pace, with a focus on repairing damaged infrastructure such as transportation and communication, as well as restoring farmland and agricultural facilities to ensure the gradual resumption of normal life for local residents, Chen added.

In the aftermath of the floods, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region carried out post-disaster disinfection and epidemic work. The capital has outlined a post-disaster reconstruction plan, aiming to achieve basic recovery in one year and full restoration in around three years.

In Tianjin Municipality, more than 35,000 people relocated from areas prone to flooding by the Yongding River have returned home, while in Hebei Province, over 170 professionals have conducted risk assessments for 211 villages and 173 residential complexes that were once inundated by floodwater in Zhuozhou City, one of the worst-affected areas.

Up until now, the Chinese authorities have allocated 29.3 billion yuan (about $4.07 billion) as part of the central government's support for disaster relief, with a total of 1,488 implemented national debt water conservancy projects, Chen added.