Abstract:
Under the influence of global climate change, Yangtze River Basin has in recent years experienced increasing suddenness, abnormality, compound effects, and uncertainty in flood and drought disasters.In particular, extreme floods triggered by unprecedented local rainstorms, severe droughts caused by prolonged large-scale absence of precipitation and high temperatures, as well as compound extreme hydro-meteorological events such as rapid transitions between drought and flood, and sudden droughts under heat waves, have posed new challenges to water security, food security, and ecological security in the basin.This study systematically analyzed the recent variations in floods and droughts in the Yangtze River Basin under climate change, reviewed the current difficulties in flood and drought defense, and proposed integrated flood-drought defense strategies for coping with climate change.These include: strengthening monitoring of extreme precipitation and improving medium and long term hydrometeorological forecasting, and advancing the Four Pres (prediction, forecasting, early warning, and preparedness) capacities; enhancing basin water network and water resource allocation projects, and expediting the preparation of integrated flood-drought defense or dedicated drought-resistance plans; adhering to the principle of simultaneous prevention and control of both droughts and floods, while strengthening joint regulation of water projects and flood risk management; improving flash flood prevention, small and medium-sized river management, urban waterlogging control, and smart management of stormwater resources; promoting the construction of digital twin basins and projects, and applying artificial intelligence and large models to enhance integrated defense decision-making capacity; advancing theoretical research on flood and drought risk management under climate change as well as strategies for modernization of harmonious human-water relations.These efforts can provide a reference for safety and resilience building in Yangtze River Basin.