Xiaolangdi Reservoir Dam in Luoyang in China's Central
Henan Provine Photo: VCG
Chinese experts rejected the claim from foreign media that the relentless
downpour and flooding in Central China's Henan Province were due to
"widespread construction" of dams, saying the dams are playing a
pivotal role in countering water disasters. What people should learn from the
floods is the importance of nature's adjustments together with man-made
facilities in dealing with extreme situations, experts said.
As Henan reported at least 25 deaths in unprecedented rainfall and floods, the
AFP on Tuesday highlighted a collapsing dam in Luoyang, saying the threat of
floods has risen in China because of the construction of dams and levees, which
"cut connections between the river and adjacent lakes and disrupted
floodplains that had helped absorb the summer surge."
Experts reached by the Global Times said the building of dams and
"worsening threat" do not have direct links, especially in this case
of Henan, which was more like a sudden act of nature.
Overseas outlets are exaggerating the issue, as in fact the construction of
dams and reservoirs will enhance regional disaster prevention and mitigation,
rather than reduce it, Fu Zongfu, a professor from College of Water Conservancy
and Hydropower Engineering at Hehai University, told the Global Times on
Wednesday.
Most countries build dams, which greatly improve flood control and disaster reduction
capacity, so the construction of dams should not be denied because of a rare
disaster, Fu said.
Due to the unprecedented heavy rain, the state flood control and drought relief
bureau dispatched a work group to Henan and initiated a
level III emergency response rescue work. About 849 people have been rescued.
Henan Province is located in Central China's plains, spanning four major river
basins of Haihe River, Yellow River, Huaihe River and Yangtze River, and has
1,030 rivers each with a drainage area of at least 50 square kilometers.
The expert said floods may be caused by many factors, such as topography (Henan
is low and vulnerable) and rapid urbanization, which makes the ground
susceptible to water. However, the most important one is extreme climate, as
drainage systems are not designed for such rare downpours.
Ma Jun, director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental
Affairs, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the construction of dams will
have some impact on the floodplain's ecology, but has no direct connection to
flooding.
Chinese dam projects usually make ecological compensation, which requires that
the water discharge of hydropower stations should not be lower than the normal
ecological water discharge, meaning it has little impact on the ecology, Fu
said.
Experts also stressed that lakes adjacent to rivers and floodplains represent
nature's "regulating power," while the dam represents artificial
regulation, and the two should work together for flood control.
While artificial regulation can play a role, the dangers of sudden extreme
weather cannot be totally eliminated, so the importance of natural regulation
cannot be ignored, Ma said.
He explained that the dams often serve a combination of functions, including
power generation, irrigation, and tourism.
After the disastrous 1998 floods, China asked local governments to gradually
"return farmlands to the lakes," in a bid to restore natural
regulating ability, and stop excessive development.
Following the 1975 Banqiao Dam failure, which led to the collapse of 62 dams in
Henan Province, China has strengthened the design, construction, operation and
management of dams. China's dam technology and safety are world class, experts
said.
The collapsed dam in Luoyang on Wednesday is probably old and earth-made,
dating back to the 1950s to 1970s. Despite constant reinforcement and
maintenance, the fatal flaw of such levees is that they are prone to failure
when heavy rainfall causes the water to overflow above the peak level, Ma
said.
Source: Global Times