Flood Control and Floodplain Management
Abstract
Major disasters from flooding have been documented for more than 2,500 years in Chinese history. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, action to address these problems became a priority and flood control works were undertaken on an unprecedented scale. The term flood control is used widely in China and reflects the preoccupation with capital works in addressing flood problems and a former belief that floods could be controlled.
Despite the achievements of existing flood control works, severe flood damages and loss of life continue due to ineffective floodplain management. Flood forecasting and flood warning have become important adjuncts to the management of floods, and more integrated floodplain management is being considered as part of Chinese policy in this area. This paper deals with national flood control and floodplain management policy and specific aspects of current management in four main river basins in northern and central China.