A landslide triggered by unusually heavy rain claimed four lives and left eight others missing in northern China’s Hebei province, as authorities issue flood warnings in capital Beijing and at least 11 provinces, reported Al Jazeera.
The landslide in a village near Chengde city was “due to heavy rainfall”, state broadcaster CCTV reported on July 28.
According to reports, over 4,400 people were relocated as heavy rain continued to pour over the suburban area of Miyun in Beijing, causing flash floods and landslides, affecting many villages, CCTV said.
Images circulated on China’s WeChat app showed areas of Miyun where cars and trucks were floating on a flooded road, and residential buildings were submerged. Electricity cuts also affected more than 10,000 people in the area, CCTV said.
In recent years, Northern China has seen record precipitation, exposing densely populated cities, including Beijing, to flood risks. Some scientists link the increased rainfall in China’s usually arid north to global warming.
The Central Meteorological Observatory said that heavy rainfall is predicted for northern China over the next three days. The Water Resources Ministry has issued targeted flood warnings in 11 provinces and regions, reported Al Jazeera.
Beijing issued a red flood alert, its highest-level alert on July 28, according to Xinhua news agency. The national emergency management department said that it dispatched a team to inspect the “severe” flooding in Hebei, which encircles Beijing.
Consequence of Climate Change
According to a December 2024 Science Direct study, urbanisation has altered the processes of the hydrological cycle in cities, further affecting their precipitation extremes. The unprecedented flooding in northern China highlights the growing challenge of managing extreme weather in rapidly urbanising regions.
Reuters too, highlighted the record precipitation observed by Northern China in recent years, exposing densely populated cities, including Beijing to flood risks. Some scientists link the increased rainfall in China’s usually arid north to global warming.
China is among the world’s most highly exposed countries to floods, with nearly 400 million people directly exposed to once-in-100-year floods, representing more than a third of global exposure, according to a study published by World Bank in 2022. The country loses an estimated 1% of its gross domestic product each year to floods, with more than 640 cities subject to flood risks and 67% of the population living in flood-prone areas, World Bank said.
Previous studies have reported that climate change and urbanisation exacerbate urban flood risk in some major cities of China. According to a July 15 Reuters report, China promised to build liveable, sustainable and resilient cities in the next phase of its urban development.
