Across China this year, as many as 487 rivers have exceeded their flood warning levels, while over 1.2 million people have been evacuated, with direct economic losses hitting nearly 65 billion yuan (US$9.7 billion) so far.
Since the start of the flooding season, China has been hit by nine large-scale floods from major rivers, the most since 1998, said an official from the Ministry of Water Resources at the briefing.
Among them, overflows from Beijiang river in the populous Pearl River Basin have led to the biggest floods from the river since 1915, he said.
China has been striving to improve its ability to cope with extreme weather and promised to set up an advanced risk management and prevention system over the next decade.
The country experienced more geological disasters in the first half than the whole of last year, an official from the Ministry of Natural Resources told the briefing.
More “severe challenges” can be expected in the second half, he warned.