The 1998 flood on the Yangtze, China

This paper examines the main causes of the 1998 flood on the Yangtze and addresses a number of issues related to the exploitation of natural resources and counter-measures to the flood hazard. The records show that both the amount of precipitation over the catchment and the floodwater discharge from the upper basin did not exceed the historical maximum, but water levels in the middle basin were recorded much higher than the historical maximum. Human activities have greatly increased the risk of the flood hazard. Extensive reclamation of the lakes and fluvial islands in the middle basin has considerably reduced the floodwater storage and drainage capacity of these natural landscapes of the Yangtze Basin. Deforestation in the catchment area has induced soil erosion, resulting in a large amount of sediment deposited in reservoirs whose storage capacity is thus reduced. Strengthening the flood defence to protect people living on the floodplain has raised the water level during the flood. An integrated approach is needed to produce a balanced management plan that can meet the financial needs of local people in the catchment area as well as reduce flood risk to the industries and urban residents in the middle basin of the Yangtze.