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Floods have become friends rather than foes, since China is making terrible summer floodwaters useful in fighting drought. Many areas are saving floodwaters for the dry season.

 

Some water-deficient regions have begun diverting floodwater from major rivers for storage during flood season.

 

Then they use these valuable sources of water for irrigation in dry season to ensure stable water supply and crop yields.

 

Major rivers, often referred to as "mother rivers," serve as the principal source of irrigation in China. However, raging floods on these rivers in high-water seasons pose a great threat to people living on both banks.

 

According to the State Flood Prevention and Drought Relief Headquarters, floods killed 1,231 people, left 331 others missing and caused direct economic losses of 136 billion yuan (US$16.9 billion) in the first three quarters of 2005.

 

The traditional way to curb floods is to reinforce river embankments and open reservoir sluices to discharge floodwater. But, in dry season, people in river areas often face water shortage.

 

Baicheng City, which lies on Nenjiang River, a tributary of the Songhua River in northeast China, undertook an unprecedented experiment in 2003, encouraged by the government's call for scientific development.

 

"The city often suffers from severe drought as it uses less than 2 percent of Nenjiang River's average yearly water flux, or 21.6 billion cubic meters," said Xu Kai, an official of the water resources bureau.

 

After realizing the value of floodwater, the city began to channel floodwater into reservoirs and ponds for storage for use in dry seasons.

 

"During the past three years, we have utilized three million cubic meters of floodwaters, which have helped to improve 50 square kilometers of wetlands, and raised the underground water level by one meter," Xu said.

 

The city's five reservoirs and 18 ponds are now filled with floodwater.

 

To date, more and more people living adjacent to large rivers, such as the Yangtze River and Yellow River, have followed the example of Baicheng City.

 

The move is important, as nearly two thirds of 660 cities lack water supply. China's per capita share of water resources is only a quarter of the world's average.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2006)