(August 14, 2006) The Yangtze is in the grip of a rare drought, with water in many sections of the river at historically low levels. Navigation authorities have reinforced patrols along the waterway, warning vessels against running aground.
Drought alert for parched Sichuan
(August 14, 2006) Lack of rain and heatwave making safe drinking water scarce.
Severe floods expected to put new dam to the test
(May 27, 2003) Abnormally heavy flooding on the Yangtze River this summer is expected to put the newly built Three Gorges dam to its first major test.
Flood types on the Yangtze River
(September 12, 2002) The big dam will be ‘totally useless’ in the face of the most common type of Yangtze flood, a senior Chinese Academy of Sciences researcher writes.
Water official raises Yangtze flood-control concerns
(December 20, 2001) A senior Chinese water official has raised concerns about flood control on the Yangtze River, even after the Three Gorges dam is built.
Heavy rain causes cracks of Yangtze River banks
(December 5, 2000) Continuous heavy rain over the past few days have caused a section of the Yangtze River to burst its banks in Yueyang, a city in central China’s Hunan Province, a local water resources official confirmed on Thursday.
Collapses found at Yangtze River banks
(November 28, 2000) Officials were busy reinforcing embankments in a section of the Yangtze River China’s longest yesterday after collapses in three major areas. The Xiaoxiang Morning Post reported yesterday that the collapses one as long as 600 metres in the Yueyang section of the river in Central China’s Hunan Province were causing great concern as the flood season officially began yesterday.
China braces defences against floods
(November 17, 2000) ‘The flood-control works in some areas are like old men suffering from the passing of years. We have taken actions to cure them, while we should not expect to make them healthy young men in one day," said a top Yangtze flood-control official.
Special analysis: Three Gorges dam no solution to floods
(August 24, 1998) As the Yangtze River Valley is engulfed by China’s worst flooding in more than four decades, debate over whether the Three Gorges dam would have stopped this year’s flood has been revived.


