Are only floods with large discharges threatening? Flood characteristics evolution in the Yangtze River Basin

Abstract

Abstract This study focuses on the evolution of flood risk in the Yangtze River Basin under climate change, which is a critical issue for socioeconomic development in future. In this study, we (1) compared the 1998 and 2020 floods and found that the destructiveness of a given discharge is now greater than before; (2) revealed three issues related to the above finding; and (3) prospected the future development of up-to-date technologies to better address the issue that floods with high water levels will frequently threaten us. The outcomes of this study would be of great significance to future flood control operation of large river basins.

Keywords

• Floods
• Yangtze River Basin
• Backwater effect
• Pump drainage measures
• Buffering effects of lakes