Recently, Sichuan Province released the second round of its "Calling for Best Candidates" sci-tech-enabled disaster prevention, mitigation and relief initiative, comprising a total of nine projects. Two of these projects target monitoring and command decisions for flash floods and debris flows, jointly spearheaded by the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Emergency Management.

In September 2024, the Department of Water Resources and 11 other provincial departments jointly issued a document specifying that the "Calling for Best Candidates" initiative should target major scientific issues, core technological challenges in key fields, or generic significant technical needs in areas such as flood and geological disasters, with the goal of facilitating technological breakthroughs in these domains.

As of now, what new advancements have been achieved under this initiative? How will relevant outcomes enable future flood control and disaster mitigation efforts?

Weaknesses in Flood Control and Disaster Mitigation

Inadequate Monitoring and the Need for Enhanced Early Warning Accuracy

"Through the 'Calling for Best Candidates' initiative, we are broadly soliciting expertise and innovative solutions from society. This approach is intended to harness scientific and technological strength to overcome key challenges and obstacles in our current flood control and disaster mitigation efforts," explained Zhu Xisong, Deputy Director of the Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention Division at the Department of Water Resources.

"Sichuan is one of the Chinese provinces most affected by flash floods and debris flows, known for their high numbers, frequency and severity," explained a relevant leading official from the Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention Division at the Department of Water Resources. The most recent data from the department reveals that in 2024, Sichuan had 24,876 locations at risk of flash floods and debris flows, including 24 extremely risky areas, 1,251 high-risk areas, 7,212 moderate-risk areas, and 16,389 low-risk areas.

In response to frequent flash floods and debris flows, Sichuan's water resource sectors have been focusing on advancing sci-tech breakthroughs to defend against such hazards.

In June 2024, the Office of the Sichuan Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters issued the Guidelines of Sichuan Province for Flash Flood Disaster Prevention (Interim). The guidelines emphasize the consistent promotion of technological innovation and the application of advanced technologies, including satellite remote sensing, radar-based rainfall measurement, and drone inspections, to enable high-precision and real-time monitoring of flash flood disasters.

"Despite considerable efforts in the preliminary phases, limitations in technological capabilities, the difficulties posed by extreme weather conditions, and the continuous emergence of new scenarios, issues and changes have resulted in certain vulnerabilities in our defense against flash flood disasters. These weaknesses must be addressed without delay," said Zhu Xisong.

First, there exists a lack of adequate monitoring capacity. Hindered by various objective factors, rainfall monitoring in the upper reaches of flash flood and debris flow channels is particularly challenging, especially in unpopulated areas where rainfall data are hard to acquire. Across the province, only 383 medium and small rivers are equipped with hydrological stations, amounting to a mere 62.5 percent coverage, which results in significant gaps in the monitoring network.

Furthermore, the runoff concentration calculation models, developed using rainfall monitoring data, have not been adequately calibrated or revised over long periods, limiting their effectiveness in providing comprehensive support for precise early warnings of flash floods and debris flow events. At present, flash flood warnings are mainly based on administrative divisions, which often lack the necessary precision.

"Heroes Made by Actions"

From a List of Challenges to a List of Projects

To effectively identify the right direction of the "Calling for Best Candidates" initiative, it is essential to further pinpoint the specific shortcomings that need to be addressed.

In response, last August, the Department of Emergency Management, the Department of Water Resources, and three other departments organized a fact-finding initiative. They invited experts and corporate representatives to participate in field research in areas such as Ya'an, Ganzi and Liangshan. They identified critical challenges in meteorological forecasting, monitoring, and early warning to develop and refine the first-stage list.

The first-stage list is a collection of identified challenges. Rather than detailing specific projects, it offers general direction based on preliminary research. "Heroes are defined by their actions; various relevant units across the society can provide solutions to this challenge list," according to Zhu Xisong.

Last October, Sichuan Province introduced the first-stage list of the "Calling for Best Candidates" sci-tech-enabled disaster prevention, mitigation and relief initiative. This unveiling garnered an enthusiastic response from various organizations that were eager to participate. Of these, the two flash flood-related projects led by the Department of Water Resources attracted applications from 22 spearheading organizations and 43 collaborative partners, both within and outside the province.

The release and subsequent application process for the first-stage list have allowed the Department of Water Resources to enhance the systemic approach of the proposed solutions. For instance, in terms of rainfall monitoring, the Department of Water Resources plans to leverage the satellites, radar and ground stations to establish a comprehensive monitoring strategy that encompasses aerial, space-based, and ground-level perspectives. This approach aims to ensure extensive coverage for rainfall monitoring across the entire province. To address specific difficulties, such as the inability to perform ground-level monitoring in remote and uninhabited areas due to limitations in transportation, communication and maintenance, a participating unit has proposed a technology roadmap that involves using drones equipped with portable rainfall monitoring devices. This approach can be scaled up in key areas following successful pilot tests.

Zhu Xisong introduced that during the evaluation of the first-stage list, the Department of Water Resources built upon the most optimal solutions and fully incorporated the advantages of other application proposals to develop comprehensive solutions. Following this, they issued the second-stage list, which is a list of projects, to call for the most appropriate teams for implementation, with a maximum subsidy of ten million yuan for scientific research.

"The second-stage list further clarifies the core elements, including the focus of research and key technical specifications," Zhu Xisong pointed out. He elaborated that the transition from the challenge list to the project list involves identifying weaknesses and articulating technical requirements. A comprehensive solution will be formulated after the successful candidates for the second-stage list have been determined.

Second-Stage Application Results Imminent

Outcomes of the "Calling for Best Candidates" Initiative to be Implemented Quickly

The recently released second-stage list features two flash flood-related projects led by the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Emergency Management. Unlike the first-stage list, the second-stage list explicitly delineates the project requirements, including technology roadmaps and performance metrics, and clarifies the expected outcomes.

Take the project on Research and Application Demonstration of Key Technologies for Enhancing Comprehensive Command and Decision-Making in Flash Floods and Debris Flows as an example. The list outlines the technology roadmaps for this project, such as building a data resource catalog for flash floods and debris flows, as well as developing a comprehensive command and decision-making platform. The list further proposes the establishment of an integrated monitoring, early warning, command, and decision-making platform for mountain torrents and debris flows, which can be deployable at one level and applicable across multiple levels and departments.

Zhu Xisong illustrated that the development of the comprehensive command and decision-making platform previously mentioned will consolidate multi-source heterogeneous data from various departments, such as meteorology, water resources and natural resources. This approach will break down the information silos between departments, thereby providing decision-makers with a unified and scientifically informed foundation for decision-making, Zhu noted.

In terms of application effects, the project titled Research and Application Demonstration of Key Technologies for Improving Monitoring Capabilities in Flash Flood and Debris Flow Vulnerable Areas is set to conduct technical research and demonstration in Han Yuan County and Shi Mian County in Ya'an City, as well as Lu Ding County in Ganzi Prefecture. It aims to build a fully covered and integrated "air-earth-space" monitoring and sensing system that meets the technical objectives, which will serve as a prototype for enhancing monitoring capabilities in similar disaster-prone areas throughout the province.

"The deadline for submitting applications for the second-stage list is 18:00 on January 13, 2025. There is significant interest from various organizations," Zhu Xisong stated. He mentioned that several technical teams that participated in the first stage of the application process are also actively involved in the second stage. The next step is to select applicant projects and then prompt their practical implementation.

A relevant leading official from the Department of Water Resources mentioned that the projects selected from the second-stage list are scheduled to commence implementation in March 2025. These projects have a 22-month implementation period, including a mid-term evaluation planned by the end of March 2026, and final project acceptance is anticipated by the end of December 2026.

"The 'Calling for Best Candidates' initiative does not suggest that government departments will adopt a hands-off approach," emphasized the official from the Department of Water Resources. Foundational tasks for flood control and disaster mitigation, such as improving the monitoring station network and deploying monitoring equipment, must continue simultaneously or even ahead of schedule, according to the official.

To this end, the Department of Water Resources and associated provincial entities are actively engaged in the development of rain radar systems and comprehensive flood and geological disaster warning platforms. They aim to achieve full rain radar coverage in 31 high-risk counties before the main flood season begins this year. This effort will establish a strong foundation for improving monitoring capabilities and enhancing command and decision-making skills in the pilot regions of the "Calling for Best Candidates" initiative.