SCMP: China's worst floods in decades [View all]

[soryang]

China’s worst floods in decades
By Dennis Wong
Published July 27, 2020

Heavy rains are putting the Yangtze River at risk of repeating the devastating floods of 1998 which left more than 4,000 people dead and 14 million homeless. The latest natural disaster comes in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and an escalating trade war with the US.

The Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia and China’s most important waterway, with some 175 cities located near its banks. As well as being home to a number of multinational companies, the prosperous Yangtze River Basin is a powerhouse of industrial output, generating nearly half of the country’s GDP...

...Until the Three Gorges Dam project was completed in 2009, provinces along the river mainly relied on reinforced embankments, reservoirs and floodwater storage areas to control flooding.

Less than 20 years after the dam’s completion, China is experiencing its worst floods in decades, raising questions about the dam’s efficacy and whether the massive structure itself is at risk after weeks of devastating floods since June...

much more:

https://multimedia.scmp.com/infographics/news/china/article/3094790/china-floods/index.html

This SCMP summary of the background and ongoing flood situation in China is worthwhile. Very nice collection of charts and graphics to support the reporting. I had been looking for a more comprehensive report in English and this was best one I could find although there may be others out there. If the situation gets worse it will probably have dramatic consequences. The first I can think of is world food prices.