Keynote Speech at Flood Management

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Keynote Speech at Flood Management Session of 4th World Water Forum:Implementing scientific flood management for harmonious coexistence between man and nature By H. E. Mr WANG Shucheng Minister of Water Resources, P. R. China Preventing and controlling flood and waterlogging disasters to safeguard people’s life and ensure sustainable socio-economic development is a pressing task that all governments and international community are confronted with. In particular, it has become a strategic issue for developing countries. Here, I would like to talk about three aspects. I. Preventing and managing flood and waterlogging disasters is a severe and long-term challenge to China Flood and waterlogging disasters are the most damaging natural disasters in China. Due to special geographical and climatic conditions, the disaster has three features. Firstly, high frequency. Big flood occurs once-in-two-years in average. Secondly, wide disaster-affected area. Over 2/3 of China’s territory is prone to flood and waterlogging. Thirdly, serious loss and damage caused by flood and waterlogging. The middle and lower reaches of the seven major river basins, including Yangtze River and Yellow River, are the most economically-developed area in China. However, 50% of the national population who lives there is threatened by floods. The Chinese Government and people have always attached great importance to flood and waterlogging prevention and management. Thanks to unremitting efforts, a comprehensive flood control and disaster mitigation system has taken shape in China. At present, all major large rivers are able to fight against floods of the biggest magnitude since 1950s. Middle and small rivers can withstand floods with a return period of 5 to 10 years. As a result, China can effectively control serious flood and waterlogging disasters. With population growth and socio-economic progress, China begins to face new situation in flood management and severe challenges. First, competition between man and water for land is serious. Flood discharge capacity of rivers and storage capacity of lakes shrink, which deprives the “way out” of big floods. Second, highly-flood-prone area overlaps densely-populated areas and economically-developed area, which induces more flood risks. Third, floods are intertwined with droughts and water shortage, water pollution and soil erosion, sometimes even alternate, which makes flood control far more complicated and present new challenges to traditional flood control method. II. Implementing scientific flood management for harmonious coexistence between man and nature Experience and lessons drawn from China’s flood control and prevention have repeatedly proven that the more constraint on water, the more serious damage will be brought by flood. Flood is a natural phenomena and damage is inevitable. Highly-flood-prone areas situate along the middle and lower reaches of rivers, where the possibility to adjust the already dense population and developed economy is very small. With population increase, the conflict between people and water for land becomes sharper. Floods have both natural and social attributes. In order to balance human development and providing way out for flood, and reduce flood damage, we must adhere to harmonious coexistence between man and nature. As required by sustainable development, China is undertaking strategic adjustment in flood control and disaster mitigation, the core of which is to implement scientific flood management in accordance with the concept of harmonious coexistence of man and nature.