Urban Storm Flooding: Characteristics and Management in Beijing

¹ School of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric Power, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China ;
² Drainage Management Department, Beijing Water Authority, Beijing 100038, China ;
³ China Institute of Water Resours and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China ;
⁴ College of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China

Abstract

Beijing is located on the North China Plain with five rivers, which belong to the Hai River Basin. Its continental monsoon climate with uneven precipitation distribution is extreme likely lead to serious urban flood disasters. According to the disaster results, urban storm flood in Beijing can be classified into four types. Here typical extreme storm flood events and their characteristics in Beijing were analyzed in detail. It showed that storm flood events in recently decades had a trend, which centered in a relatively small area with high intensity and short duration. The main reasons of urban storm flood disaster were urbanization and basic facilities with low flood and drainage standard. Urbanization means land utilization significantly altering hydraulic processes, and extreme storm can easily exceed those facilities capacity. In order to deal with urban storm flood, Beijing government have taken four measurements, which were upgrading and reconstruction of rainwater pumping stations, improving projects of small and medium rivers, building sponge city, and implementing the West Suburb Storm-water Regulation Project. In addition, the flood warning and emergency management system has been established. Furthermore, some measurements were pointed to be done in the future, including improvement of the flood control management system, improvement of flood control plans, strengthening flood warning system, and strengthening social management and public awareness of flood prevention. With these improvements of management and engineering measurements, it can be more secure under intensive storms in Beijing. These experiences of flood control in Beijing can provide references for other cities.