Archive · 20 Jul 2026
China's Reservoirs Pose Flood Risks Annually
China has a lot of reservoirs and dams, almost 100,000, which were built to store water, make electricity, and control floods.
But every rainy season, these dams can become dangerous because they are not managed well.
The government often opens the floodgates at night without warning, which doesn't give people enough time to escape.
This has caused many tragedies, like the recent collapse of the Liulan Reservoir in Guangxi province, which flooded towns and left many people without food, water, or electricity.
The government says these are natural floods, but many people think these disasters are man-made because of poor management.
Social media is now showing the real situation, but without better management and transparency, these problems will keep happening.
China has nearly 100,000 reservoirs, the most in the world.
Reservoirs often become dangerous during the rainy season due to poor management.
Government frequently opens floodgates at night without warning downstream residents.
The Liulan Reservoir collapse on July 6 submerged towns and left hundreds stranded.
Floods in Guangxi province have killed 39 people and left nine missing.
- Who
- Residents of downstream communities in China, particularly in Guangxi province.
- What
- Flooding caused by the collapse and mismanagement of reservoirs.
- When
- July 6, 2024, and other rainy seasons.
- Where
- Guangxi province, China, and other regions with reservoirs.
- Why
- Due to flawed management practices, lack of timely warnings, and substandard engineering.
Government and Industrial Priorities
Community Safety and Transparency
Management Practices
Government and Industrial Priorities
Prioritizes power generation and industrial needs, often delaying or omitting flood warnings to avoid responsibility.
Community Safety and Transparency
Advocates for timely warnings, adherence to engineering standards, and transparency to protect downstream communities.
Accountability and Transparency
Government and Industrial Priorities
Government controls information, often classifying disasters as natural floods to avoid accountability.
Community Safety and Transparency
Calls for transparency and accountability, using social media to expose real-time incidents and challenge official narratives.
- Number of Reservoirs
- Nearly 100,000
- Recent Catastrophe Date
- July 6
- Location of Recent Catastrophe
- Liulan Reservoir, Na Ning, Guangxi province
- Death Toll in Guangxi
- 39 dead, 9 missing
- Failed Projects in 2022
- 65 water conservancy projects
- Historical Incident
- Banqiao Reservoir collapse in 1975