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12h ago

Beijing Floods Expose Weak Rural Preparedness and Limits of 'Sponge City' Fixes

Climate change is pushing China’s rain belt north, driving calls to rebuild for ecological resilience.

A worker loads debris onto a vehicle near a bridge over the Liuli River, after heavy rains in late July that flooded the area, in Huairou district of Beijing, China, August 13, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo
A damaged car lies at a damaged corn field along the bank of the Liuli River, after heavy rains in late July that flooded the village, in Huairou district of Beijing, China, August 13, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo
Damaged corn stalks lie along the bank of the Liuli River, after heavy rains in late July that flooded the village, in Huairou district of Beijing, China, August 13, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo
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Overview

  • Flash floods in Huairou and Miyun killed 44 after a week of rain equaled a typical year, destroying villages and infrastructure.
  • Authorities’ highest weather alert reached many Huairou residents after they were asleep, undermining timely evacuations.
  • Rural emergency shortfalls proved fatal, with 31 residents of a Miyun nursing home excluded from evacuation plans and trapped by rising water.
  • Officials report the earliest northern rainy season since records began in 1961, record floods on several Beijing rivers, and a 75% year-on-year jump in June–July rainfall.
  • Despite 2.9 trillion yuan spent on over 60,000 sponge projects in 2024, experts say urban-focused standards based on past rainfall leave mountainous outskirts vulnerable, and a July planning meeting urged resilience-focused, ecology-based design.