Ministry braces for busy flood season

Due to the impact of extreme weather, this year's flood season, which started on Monday, will feature a concurrence of droughts and floods, with floods being more widespread, a hydrologic expert said.

The seven major rivers in China — the Yangtze, Yellow, Haihe, Liaohe, Huaihe, Songhuajiang and Pearl rivers — are likely to experience different levels of rainstorms and flooding, with certain regions potentially facing intermittent droughts, Hou Aizhong, chief hydrology forecaster at the Ministry of Water Resources' information center, said on Monday.

In light of this year's flood situation, the ministry has outlined requirements for flood preparedness, emergency response and defense work.

Luo Jinjun, an official from the ministry's flood and drought prevention department, said the ministry will better unify and coordinate the management of water conservancy projects to reinforce flood control and disaster reduction endeavors, ensuring reservoir safety during the flood season.

Luo proposed enhancing patrols, inspections and protections at reservoirs. He said the ministry will maximize the use of monitoring and early warning systems while establishing a responsive working mechanism to safeguard people's safety.

So far, the country's average precipitation this year has been 61 millimeters, similar to the same period in a typical year. However, some major rivers of the Pearl River Basin and of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin have seen waters inflow that are 20 to 60 percent lower than normal.

A typical flood season in South China usually spans from April to October, while that in North China occurs from June to September.