BEIJING: China has gone three consecutive years without a dam collapse, an unprecedented achievement despite growing flood control challenges linked to climate change, a senior official said.
Speaking at a news conference, Wang Baoen, vice-minister of water resources, described reservoirs as key infrastructure of significant importance.
“Reservoirs are essential infrastructure with multiple functions, including flood control, water supply, power generation and ecological conservation,” Wang said. “They play an irreplaceable role in safeguarding lives and property, promoting socioeconomic development and maintaining overall social stability.”
He noted, however, that managing reservoirs remains a difficult task. “Amid global climate change, the country has seen an increasing frequency of extreme rainfall and flood disasters that break historical records,” Wang said. That has created a complex challenge for risk prevention and safety management, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance, he added.
Wang outlined a series of measures the ministry has taken to address the situation, including strengthening safety accountability in reservoir management, with a particular focus on small reservoirs that typically lack dedicated management bodies.
Before each flood season, the ministry ensures that administrative, technical and inspection personnel are assigned to small reservoirs. Local authorities are also guided in arranging emergency response teams and preparing relief supplies in advance for all reservoirs, he said.
He stressed that the ministry is paying particular attention to aging reservoirs, implementing reinforcement and remediation measures immediately upon detecting damages to eliminate safety hazards. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
