Strengthening Flood Risk Management Policy and Practice in the People’s Republic of China: Lessons Learned from the 2016 Yangtze River Floods

Abstract

In the People’s Republic of China (PRC), recent flood events revealed that the majority of flood damages does not come from the main stem river but from small- to moderate-sized river sub-basins. This paper reviews recent flood experience in the PRC in the context of national flood risk management policy and practice. The paper illustrates that there is an inextricable nexus between flood risk management, environmental management, and ecosystem sustainability. It also highlights the need for a flood footprint and accountability system for the whole river basin and greater involvement of the private sector in flood risk management.