Recent floods highlight those left behind in China’s rapid economic development
A post saying local meteorologists forecast heavy rain for Beijing from Sunday night to Monday daytime has been widely circulated on WeChat, with people reminding their relatives and friends to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities.
Although there have been no reports of casualties in the capital, the recent flooding in China has left more than 200 dead and caused severe property and economic losses throughout the country.
Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged an all- out effort to fight the floods, and required relevant authorities to begin planning water conservation projects.
The recent flooding has served to expose substantial problems in China’s economic planning. Urban construction in the country has been too utilitarian. Some of China’s firsttier cities may look like New York City, with a host of skyscrapers shooting up from downtown, but construction on underground installations, including drainage systems, has lagged behind. It appears that local officials have focused too much appearance, while overlooking fundamental operations.
Ironically, the centuries- old drainage system in the Forbidden City has been able to handle the heavy rain, while the city’s modern, newly built urban neighborhoods have been waterlogged.
The recent floods have also drawn attention to the disparity between China’s urban and rural areas. The worst hit regions have mainly been concentrated in rural areas, where great efforts are still needed to improve drainage systems and renovate dilapidated houses.
These problems will not be solved quickly without a system to punish local officials who neglect the necessary work on flood control measures. There is no doubt that a high level of efficiency will be needed for relief work after the flooding recedes, but implementing strong leadership on preventative flood control tasks may be just as, if not more, important.
It is easy to point out and praise the local officials who effectively organize relief work and resettle people from flood- damaged areas, but is it not more praiseworthy to be the officials who took the necessary steps pre- flooding so that their regions are now not facing the same vast damage despite being hit by heavy rainfall?
After more than 30 years of rapid economic development, it seems the time has come for China to think about increasing manpower and material resources to ensure the safety of lives. In this regard, China will need to wave good- bye to its extensive economic growth pattern to put more focus on people’s security and solve deep- seated problems such as the rural- urban gap.