Water Resources Development Research

Analysis on improving flood resilience of megacities against the background of frequent extreme weather

Against the backdrop of climate change and other multifactorial influences,urban flood disasters are becoming increasingly frequent. For megacities,constructing an urban flood control system solely from the perspective of combating disasters is unlikely to be fully effective and it is also uneconomical to raise urban flood control standards to the level required for extreme disasters. Therefore,improving urban flood resilience has become a critical direction for megacities in addressing extreme rainstorm and flood events. Based on the investigation of flood disasters and case studies from typical megacities,this paper explores the basic characteristics of flood disasters in megacities,focusing on the unique complexity of flood disaster prevention and control,the chain amplification effect of flood disasters,and the uncertainty of disasters under climate change. It identifies key deficiencies in the flood resilience of megacities,such as the lack of risk awareness,inadequate grassroots response systems,insufficient on-site emergency measures,and weak multidimensional resilience frameworks. The paper proposes basic strategies to enhance flood resilience,including strengthening prevention and risk avoidance,improving flood detection and early warning systems,implementing joint prevention and control measures,and leveraging technological empowerment. It further suggests specific pathways for resilience enhancement,including popularizing flood disaster risk education,constructing a comprehensive safety and emergency framework,enhancing three-dimensional collaborative perception,improving precise early warning and response systems,strengthening disaster chain interruption measures,and promoting intelligent flood response systems. The research provides a macroscopic analysis of strategies and pathways for improving the flood resilience of megacities in China and offers valuable reference for flood control and resilience enhancement efforts in such cities.

Urban flood resilience assessment indicator system and enhancement strategies

In recent years,urban flood disasters have become more frequent under global climate change,and flood risk has intensified with China' s rapid urbanization,highlighting an urgent need to enhance urban flood resilience. To support systematic assessment and diagnose key weaknesses,this study develops a multi-dimensional,full life-cycle indicator system for urban flood resilience using a four-dimensional analytical framework—reliability,robustness,recovery speed,and adaptability—while explicitly accounting for the critical stages of “prevention-resistance-recovery-adaptation”. Based on the proposed indicator system,corresponding strategies are further suggested to strengthen weak links and provide technical support for scientifically improving urban flood resilience.

Development and application of a forecasting and scheduling model for the “four-pre” framework in high-density urban flood control

To address the operational demands of flood prevention and drainage in high-density urban areas,this study develops an integrated forecasting and scheduling model system tailored to the “four-pre” framework—forecasting,early warning,rehearsal,and contingency planning. The system comprises four core components:( 1) a flood forecasting model that incorporates a three-dimensional water exchange mechanism linking river channels,drainage networks,and surface runoff;( 2) an AI-powered flood prediction model;( 3) a joint regulation model for hydraulic infrastructure; and( 4) a real-time emergency resource allocation model. Building upon this system,a digital platform is further developed to enable rapid simulation and refined visualization of urban flooding. This platform leverages a selectively driven multi-path urban water flow simulation method and advanced 3D visualization technologies based on texture mapping and Shader rendering. The proposed framework and platform offer practical tools and technical references for advancing intelligent flood resilience in densely populated cities.

Reflections on the building and development of smart water conservancy under the “dual carbon”strategy

In recent years,the concept of “dual carbon” has gained increasing attention,with many explorations and practices carried out at both domestically and internationally to address carbon emission reduction in the water sector. However,little research has focused on the integration of the “dual carbon” strategy with smart water conservancy. Utilizing information and intelligent technologies to promote the green and low-carbon development of the water conservancy is thus crucial.This paper briefly introduces the background of the “dual carbon” strategy and emphasizes the significance of building a smart water conservancy system to achieve the “dual carbon” goals. It reviews the current state of “dual carbon” research in the water conservancy,analyzes application scenarios for integrating “dual carbon” with smart water conservancy,and examines four key areas induding optimizing the overall framework,updating and improving infrastructure,enhancing evaluation and accounting capabilities,and deepening the integration of business applications. This paper reflects on the current focus of smart water conservancy building,proposes relevant strategies,and provides a forward-looking perspective on the development of smart water conservancy systems under the “dual carbon” framework.

Characteristic and strategies for improving the quality and efficiency of unconventional water utilization in the Taihu Lake Basin

Unconventional water is a critical component of regional water resources allocation. Enhancing its unconventional utilization plays an essential role in augmenting water supply,reducing pollutant discharge,and supporting the implementation of comprehensive water conservation strategies. In practice,the utilization of unconventional water varies significantly across regions with different water resource endowments. This study examines the characteristics of unconventional water utilization in four representative area types within the Taihu Lake Basin: island areas,highly urbanized areas,water environmentally sensitive zones,and water-receiving areas of inter-basin water diversion projects. Focusing on existing challenges and guided by the objective of improving utilization efficiency,this paper proposes countermeasures and suggestions to enhance the quality and effectiveness of unconventional water utilization in each type of region. The findings aim to provide reference and guidance for advancing unconventional water practices in water-abundant areas across South China.

Key technical issues and countermeasures for ensuring water supply security in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area under the background of water network development

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a strategic pivot for China in accelerating the establishment of a new development paradigm. It is therefore imperative to improve the optimal allocation of water resources and provide high-quality water supply security in support of high-quality economic and social development. With the implementation of new water governance concepts， including rigid constraints on water resources and the principle of “development based on the carrying capacity of water resource”， together with the accelerated development of key national water network projects such as the Datengxia Water Control Project and the Pearl River Delta Water Resources Allocation Project， both the requirements for and the external conditions of water supply security in the Greater Bay Area have undergone profound changes. It is therefore necessary to improve understanding， accurately identify key issues， and put forward effective solutions. Based on a systematic analysis of the current status， evolving situation， and challenges of water supply security in the Greater Bay Area under the background of water network development， and oriented toward technical demands， this paper discusses the major technical bottlenecks that urgently need to be addressed， including forecasting and early warning of extreme drought and salinity intrusion events， assessment and regulation of the spatial equilibrium of water resources， and joint operation of water network projects. It further elaborates on how to effectively enhance water supply security in the Greater Bay Area through measures such as advancing water network construction， strengthening unified basin-wide operation， and developing a digital twin water network. The study can provide a useful reference for the operation and management of regional water network projects， the research and development of key technologies， and water security assurance in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Paths for addressing challenges in the management and protection of reservoir drawdown areas

As a transition zone linking terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems， the reservoir drawdown areas is of great significance to both the operational safety of reservoir projects and the ecological security of rivers. This paper first expounds on the practical significance of strengthening the management and protection of reservoir drawdown areas. Adopting a problem-oriented approach， it then systematically reviews the major issues in drawdown-area management， including those related to policies and regulations， institutional mechanisms， ecological and environmental protection， land use and supervision， and the development of intelligent sensing systems. From the perspective of dialectical thinking， the paper further analyzes the principal contradictions involved in drawdown-area management and， focusing on improving legislative and law-enforcement mechanisms， strengthening planning guidance， applying advanced productive forces， and innovating management and protection models， proposes countermeasures and suggestions for addressing the difficulties in the management and protection of reservoir drawdown areas.

Water conservancy investment and financing reform in Guangdong and Guangxi and funding guarantee for water network development

Deepening the reform of water conservancy investment and financing is crucial to meeting the funding needs of national water network development. Based on the practical explorations carried out in Guangdong Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region， this paper systematically reviews the measures adopted in the two regions， including strengthening top-level design， innovating financing models， and improving platform development， and analyzes the progress made in expanding financing channels such as local government special bonds， financial credit， and private capital. The study finds that a number of challenges remain， including the mismatch between traditional investment mechanisms and the funding needs of water network development， the lack of smooth pathways for transforming the value of water resource assets， the insufficient role of market entities in the water conservancy sector， and the lagging reform of supporting institutions such as water rights and water pricing. In response， the paper proposes countermeasures including continuously strengthening the project pipeline， improving diversified investment and financing mechanisms， enhancing the market-oriented operational capacity of water conservancy enterprises， and deepening key supporting reforms related to water pricing and water rights， with a view to providing references for securing funding to accelerate water network development.

Adaptive operation strategies for the Xiluodu–Xiangjiaba cascade reservoirs under extreme drought conditions

To address constrained hydropower utilization of cascade hydropower stations under extreme drought and abrupt wet-to-dry transitions in the Yangtze River basin， this study takes the Xiluodu–Xiangjiaba cascade reservoirs as the study case and develops a 10-day joint operation model using HEC-ResSim. Comparative scenario analyses are conducted for a normal hydrological year， drought years with return periods of 50， 100， and 1，000 years， and the typical abrupt wet-to-dry transition event of 2021. The results indicate that， under the current operating rules， concentrated spillage still occurs during the main flood season (July-August) in drought years， whereas in 2021 the peak spillage was delayed to early September， significantly constraining power output and hydropower utilization. Under extreme drought conditions， the annual energy production of the Xiluodu and Xiangjiaba hydropower stations decreases markedly relative to that in a normal hydrological year. To address these deficiencies， three adaptive strategies are proposed: increasing the flood-limited water level， implementing earlier impoundment， and combining a higher flood-limited water level with earlier impoundment. Simulation results show that， under the 1，000-year return-period extreme drought scenario， Strategy 3 increases the total annual energy generation of the cascade hydropower stations by 1.0 billion kW·h， outperforming Strategies 1 and 2. Under the 2021 abrupt wet-to-dry transition scenario， Strategy 3 increases total annual energy generation by 1.7 billion kW·h and significantly reduces spillage， with the annual spilled discharges of the two reservoirs decreasing by approximately 8，332.1 and 7，617.3 m³/s， respectively. Strategy 2 also markedly increases energy generation and reduces spillage， whereas Strategy 1 has relatively limited effects. The results demonstrate that differentiated strategies tailored to different hydrological conditions can significantly improve the operational benefits of cascade reservoirs and enhance their adaptability to extreme scenarios without compromising engineering safety constraints.

Practical pathways and optimization strategies for major river restoration from a dialectical perspective

Major rivers play a fundamental role in supporting ecological systems and sustaining long-term socio-economic development in China. Their restoration constitutes a key measure in advancing ecological civilization and an important practical embodiment of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. This thought inherits and develops the Marxist views of nature and history， enriches and deepens Marxist ecological epistemology and dialectics， and provides fundamental guidance for addressing systemic challenges in major river restoration. Based on the current progress of the national major river restoration initiative led by the Ministry of Water Resources and drawing on practical experience， this study examines several core dialectical relationships， including protection and development， the whole and the part， the present and the long term， and government and society. It explores scientific pathways for advancing major river restoration under a dialectical framework. The study aims to provide theoretical insights and practical guidance for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of major river restoration and for promoting regularized and long-term governance.

Progress and Prospects in the Research on Optimal Allocation of China's Water Resources

The construction of sponge cities should be an important component of urban water management in the new era

Thoughts on the Concept, Technology, and Policy Issues of Sponge City Construction

Thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and solidly promote the high-quality development of water conservancy in the new stage——speech at the National Water Conservancy Work Conference in 2023

Improved water security for China's efforts to build itself into a stronger country and rejuvenate the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization——Speech at the 2024 National Water Conservancy Work Conference

Thoughts on the Concept, Technology, and Policy Issues of Sponge City Construction

The construction of sponge cities should be an important component of urban water management in the new era

A Preliminary Analysis of the Core Content of Ethics in Water Conservancy Engineering

Sponge City Construction and Urban Soil and Water Conservation

Progress and Prospects in the Research on Optimal Allocation of China's Water Resources