China says it will spend US$15 billion over five years to fix ‘sick and dangerous’ dams
- Thousands of reservoirs were damaged or destroyed in the country’s worst floods in decades this summer
- Patchy management by local officials is also to blame in some cases and supervision needs to be tightened, ministry says
Of the country’s 98,000 reservoirs, 200 large or medium-sized ones and more than 8,000 smaller dams are “sick and dangerous”, according to Ye Jianchun, vice-minister of water resources.
“Most of our reservoirs were built during the period from the 1950s to the 1970s,” Ye told a press briefing in Beijing on Monday.
“Many are approaching or have already reached the end of their designed service life, while some are ageing or have been damaged by floods and earthquakes,” he said.
China experienced its worst flood season in decades this summer, with rainstorm alerts issued for 26 straight days in June. Heavy rains battered 27 of the country’s 31 provinces, affecting more than 37 million people and leaving 141 dead or missing. Economic losses have been estimated at 86 billion yuan.
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Why has flooding been so severe in China this year?
While environmentalists have linked China’s sprawling hydroelectric projects – including the controversial Three Gorges Dam – to environmental issues and natural disasters, Ye said the country’s reservoirs were vital for flood prevention, water supply and irrigation.
