Increased flood victims .. China recognizes the shortcomings of disaster prevention plans

On Thursday, China announced the death of 44 people and the loss of 9 others as a result of the heavy rains and overwhelming floods that struck the capital Beijing and its surrounding areas, in one of the worst natural disasters that the city has witnessed in recent years, and confessed to the presence of “gaps” in preparing for disasters.

The government official, “Xia Linamo”, said during a press conference that the rains that lasted from 23 to 29 July were “severe and unprecedented”, noting that 31 of the victims were killed in a center for the elderly care in the town of Tayishiton, northeast of the city.

A previous outcome had talked about only 30 people, which makes the new number an indication of the breadth of the disaster.

Insufficient palaces and warnings

In a rare shift in the official speech, the authorities acknowledged the presence of clear gaps in the readiness and the response to disasters.

Xia said: “Our ability to predict the sharp weather conditions and warn them is insufficient, and disaster prevention plans have not been fully developed.”

“This tragedy warned us that giving priority to people and their lives should not be just a slogan.”.

The shock of the inhabitants of the affected areas

The sudden rise in the water level led to the closure of dozens of roads and the interruption of electricity from several villages in Beijing and the neighboring provinces.

“I have not seen anything like this for 40 years of my life, even the elderly did not witness such an event,” said Yuvang, a resident of the Huiro region, north of the city.

Climate change pressure

The repetition of extremist air phenomena in China – from floods to free waves – highlights the role of climate change and its direct impact on the lives of the population.

Although China is the largest global source of greenhouse gas emissions, at the same time it leads great efforts in the field of renewable energy, with its commitment to reaching carbon neutrality by 2060.