China launches three-year plan to modernize hydrological services

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Water Resources has issued a three-year action plan for 2026 to 2028 to accelerate the development of a modern rainfall and flood monitoring, forecasting and early warning system, and advance the modernization of the country's hydrological services.

The plan outlines key tasks in five areas: improving the national hydrological station network, speeding up the development and application of the three-tier rainfall and flood monitoring and forecasting system, strengthening water resources monitoring, analysis and assessment, promoting scientific and technological innovation in hydrology, and improving sector governance.

By 2028, the coordinated application of the three-tier system will be extended to major river basins where flood control is required.

The three-tier system uses satellites and radar to track rainfall in the atmosphere, rain gauges to measure precipitation on the ground, and hydrological stations to monitor river levels and flows, with the three layers working together to improve flood forecasting and provide earlier warnings.

The country also plans to improve its system for monitoring, analyzing and assessing water resources and aquatic ecosystems, foster new quality productive forces in hydrology, and significantly strengthen sector governance.