Smart Tech Deployed for Urban Flood Prevention in China

As China enters its most critical flood prevention period of the year, a new wave of technology is being deployed across the country’s cities to strengthen defenses against urban waterlogging. Smart monitoring platforms, intelligent alarm devices, and multi-type drone systems are transforming how cities anticipate and respond to flood risks, according to a report from Science and Technology Daily.

A Challenging Flood Season

China officially entered the “July 16 to August 15” critical flood prevention period on July 16, with both northern and southern regions experiencing multiple rainy areas, frequent local rainstorms, and a strong typhoon moving inland. Vice Minister of Water Resources Wang Baoen warned that flooding is expected to be more severe than drought this year, with the flood season already producing 25 numbered floods on major rivers and 609 rivers exceeding warning levels—35 percent more than the five-year average, as Xinhua News reported.

The stakes were underscored in early July when Typhoon Maysak triggered catastrophic flooding across Guangxi, killing 39 people and leaving 9 missing, according to Wikipedia. The disaster demonstrated both the destructive power of extreme weather and the critical importance of advanced early warning and response systems.

Smart Monitoring: Predicting Road Waterlogging

In Chengdu, the Municipal Engineering Design & Research Institute has developed an urban waterlogging monitoring and early warning platform that serves as a “digital brain” for flood prevention. The system uses 3D visualization of urban terrain, road networks, and drainage pipe networks, with detectors uploading water accumulation data every five minutes during rainstorms.

“The platform can use urban waterlogging simulation and historical risk point data analysis to help technicians identify flood-prone areas during the flood season,” said Yang Zhiyong, a technician at the institute. By integrating machine learning algorithms with weather forecasts, underground pipe networks, river systems, and terrain data, the platform can now forecast road waterlogging up to 72 hours in advance. It has been deployed in Chengdu’s Jiaoxi area for over two years, helping the district navigate multiple flood seasons safely.

Smart Alarm Devices: Real-Time Water Level Detection

Tianjin Metro Line 1 has deployed independently developed smart flood alarm devices at 109 entrances across 32 stations this flood season. The devices, created by China Railway Construction Traffic Operations Group, consist of five core components including a float probe, signal connection cable, and audible/visual alarm light.

When the float probe detects water exceeding threshold levels, the device triggers an alarm and automatically calls preset duty personnel within 10 seconds. “In the past, we relied mainly on manual patrols, which meant delayed detection of dangers and slow response,” said Wang Qiang, a station area assistant. “Now duty personnel can rush to the scene immediately upon receiving alert calls, greatly shortening response time.” The devices boast a three-year standby battery life on a single charge, and the company plans to standardize the technology for broader adoption across the metro industry.

Drones: Building an Aerial Rescue Network

Drones have become indispensable “rescue pioneers” in flood prevention, deployed on a large scale and routine basis across disaster scenarios. According to Le Yifeng, deputy director of the UAV Business Department at China Feilong General Aviation, drone applications now span the entire disaster cycle—pre-disaster patrols and infrastructure inspection, during-disaster visual command and material delivery, and post-disaster damage assessment.

Different aircraft types serve distinct roles: light multi-rotor drones with thermal imaging conduct urban patrols, medium heavy-lift drones deliver rescue equipment to isolated areas, and long-endurance fixed-wing drones act as aerial communication base stations. Small automated airport drones can provide 24-hour autonomous patrol at riverbanks, reservoirs, and low-lying risk areas.

The effectiveness of this approach was proven during the Guangxi disaster, where drones built a three-dimensional emergency rescue system. As Science and Technology Daily reported, three Wing Loong drones completed six sorties over nearly four days, restoring communications for more than 90,000 affected residents and rescue personnel. The broader drone ecosystem was also showcased in CCTV coverage of Yunnan Mile’s drone patrol system and Huaian, Jiangsu’s 200-plus drone stations achieving a “5-minute drone emergency response circle.”

From Passive Response to Intelligent Prevention

The deployment of these technologies marks a fundamental shift in China’s approach to urban flood management—from “passive response” to “active intelligent prevention.” Instead of relying on manual patrols and reactive measures, cities are now leveraging data-driven, AI-powered systems that can anticipate risks before they materialize.

This transformation was already evident in earlier reporting by Xinhua, which highlighted how digital twin systems on the Huai River have extended flood forecasting capabilities to 3-7 days, and how Shenzhen’s AI system “Long Xiaoer” analyzed 243,000 monitoring images and issued over 1,500 warnings during a single rainstorm event.

What’s Next

As China’s flood season continues, the integration of smart technologies into urban flood prevention is expected to deepen. The Ministry of Water Resources has emphasized the need to strengthen “four pre” measures—forecasting, warning, rehearsal, and planning—while pushing forward the application of new technologies including remote sensing satellites, drones, and artificial intelligence.

For cities across China, the message is clear: the era of relying solely on manpower and experience to combat floods is giving way to a new paradigm where data, algorithms, and aerial technology work in concert to protect urban populations. The challenge now lies in scaling these innovations nationwide and ensuring they remain reliable when the next extreme weather event arrives.