The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held a meeting on June 30 to study and arrange flood control and drought relief work for this year. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.
It was noted at the meeting that the country is likely to see more extreme weather events during this year's main flood season, featuring both floods and droughts. The meeting urged all regions and departments to heighten awareness, strengthen bottom-line and worst-case thinking, and prepare for major floods, severe droughts, and strong typhoons. Effective measures must be taken to advance flood prevention, drought relief, emergency rescue, and disaster relief operations.
The meeting highlighted that protecting people's lives must always be the top priority. Monitoring and forecasting accuracy should be improved, and mass evacuations should be promptly and decisively organized to resolutely prevent mass casualties. Flood safety of major rivers and lakes must be ensured, and space control for flood discharge should be comprehensively enhanced. The risk of abrupt shifts from drought to flood calls for simultaneous efforts in both flood control and drought relief, with unified management and allocation of water resources. Safety of major infrastructure and ongoing projects during the flood season must also be guaranteed through intensified hazard inspections and protection of agricultural facilities.
On emergency rescue and relief, the meeting stressed rapid and efficient responses. Preparation of forces, equipment, and supplies should be further improved, and integrated deployment and pre-positioning must be strengthened to enhance rescue capabilities under extreme conditions. Relief work should be carried out with care and compassion, ensuring the basic needs of affected people are met. Resources should be tilted towards the grassroots, and efforts should be channeled to the front lines, so as to comprehensively boost local capabilities in flood prevention, disaster reduction, and relief.
The meeting concluded by requiring Party committees and governments at all levels to firmly implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and strictly enforce the accountability system for flood control and drought relief. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters must strengthen overall coordination and command, while all relevant departments must fulfill their duties. Leading officials at all levels are to uphold a correct view on performance, strengthen on-duty efforts, exercise front-line command, and mobilize the public to fully engage in disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief work. Grassroots Party organizations and members should give full play to their roles as fighting bastions and vanguard models, bravely taking on heavy responsibilities and charging ahead at the forefront of flood control, drought relief, and emergency rescue, thereby safeguarding the people's lives and property as well as overall social stability.