Search

• The extent of flooding in China is greater than in any other country. • Nearly 66% of China's landmass is submerged by flooding. • Financial toll of flooding accounts for approximately 1.42% of the annual GDP. • Various forms of climatic change contribute to flooding. The extent of flooding in China is more significant than in any other country. Our research reveals that approximately 66 % of China's landmass is submerged by flooding, affecting about 50 % of the population. Furthermore, the financial toll of flooding now accounts for approximately 1.42 % of the annual gross domestic product (GDP), which is almost 40 times higher than the corresponding figure for the United States. We have observed that Zhengzhou city in Henan province, which faced a devastating flood in 2021, received a significant amount of rainfall, specifically a total of 552.5 mm within a 24-hour period. The floods in Henan province in 2021 caused considerable damage, including impacting nearly 15 million people, resulting in almost 400 deaths, damaging over 10,000 square kilometers of agricultural land, causing almost $19 billion in economic losses, and leading to the collapse of over 35,000 households and damage to various properties. In a similar manner, the significant flooding that occurred in southern China in 2020 impacted approximately 7.1 million individuals across eight provinces and resulted in 54 fatalities, the collapse of 6,700 houses, and incurred a direct economic loss of US$3.33 billion. We found that rainstorms have significantly increased to 10 % in the last 60 years in China. In this paper, we delved into exploring the existing published articles, reports, and government and authoritative legal texts to analyze the causes and impacts of flooding in China's flood-prone regions and potential mitigation strategies to reduce the repercussions of distressing flood events. We believe this study will help policymakers by providing new insights while formulating policy to reduce the loss caused by high-level flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local climates are responding to global warming differently, and the changes in rainstorms in mountainous areas of Southwest China are of particular interest. This study, using monthly NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and daily precipitation observation of 90 meteorological stations from 1961 to 2021, analyzed the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of rainstorms and floods in Southwest China and their relationship with atmospheric circulations. The results led us to the following five conclusions: (1) Rainstorms and floods in southwest China mainly occur from June to August, during which time July has the most weather events, followed by August. (2) The southwest of Guizhou province, the southern edge of Yunnan province, and regions from the east of the Sichuan Basin to the north of Guizhou have experienced more rainstorms and floods, while the northwest regions of Southwest China have had fewer. (3) Over the last 61 years, rainstorms and floods have exhibited an overall rising trend, especially in the last 10 years. The year 2012 was an abrupt inflection point in rainstorms and floods in Southwest China, from low to high frequency, while the correlation coefficient between rainstorms and floods and the global surface temperature is above the 95% significance level. (4) Rainstorms and floods exhibit changes at periods of 8 years, 16 years, and 31 years. (5) Rainstorms and floods show a good correlation with multiple variables, such as South Asian high-pressure systems west of 90°E, the upper trough front, the northwest side of the western Pacific subtropical high, and the convergence of warm and wet air in the middle and lower layers with cold air on the ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]