China Expands Compensation for Flood-Affected Areas
China pledges more aid for flood-hit regions, including livestock losses and direct compensation, after extreme rains displace residents and damage farms.
BEIJING | June 28
As extreme rainfall and flooding continue to hit parts of China, the government has expanded its social safety net to help affected residents especially those impacted by flood diversion zones.
The new measures include direct compensation from the central government, support for destroyed homes and farmland, and for the first time payments for livestock and poultry losses.
These updated policies come after growing public anger in 2023, when nearly 1 million people in Hebei province were relocated to make way for floodwaters diverted from Beijing. Residents were frustrated that their farms and homes were sacrificed to protect the capital city.
Why It Matters
In China, flood diversion zones are areas used to redirect river water during extreme rain to protect cities and dams downstream. However, many of these zones are now populated by farms and homes, causing social tension whenever floodwaters are released.
The new policy will cover 70% of compensation through central government funding. Previously, the share was uncertain and often fell heavily on local governments.
“This is a step toward protecting vulnerable groups during climate emergencies,” a Ministry of Emergency Management official told reporters.
Extreme Rainfall Triggers New Alerts
China’s Meteorological Administration said parts of the Yangtze River Basin have received up to double the normal rainfall since early June.
In the southwestern province of Guizhou, heavy rains led to flooding on a scale expected only once every 50 years, shocking over 300,000 residents and prompting new disaster relief pledges.
30 weather stations across multiple provinces recorded record-breaking rainfall for June, including in Hubei and Guizhou.
Quick Recap: What’s New
Issue Details Compensation Split 70% central govt, 30% local govt Livestock Losses Covered Yes, now included for the first time Flood Diversion Zones Used (2023) 8 zones, 1 million people relocated Current Flood Focus Yangtze River Basin, Guizhou Province Long-Term Plan Relocate industries/populations from high-risk areas
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