Chinese scientists find some Yangtze flood controls may do more harm than good

A new study by Chinese and European scientists, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that some flood control measures on China's Yangtze River may have unintentionally increased flood risks. The research indicates that human interventions, specifically the construction of embankments and the reclamation of lakes, amplified flood magnitudes that were already driven by climate changes. This occurred during periods like the Little Ice Age (1500-1850), when flood frequency was at its peak. The study highlights a paradox where efforts to control the Yangtze's historically devastating floods, ranging from ancient dykes to modern structures like the Three Gorges Dam, may have exacerbated the problem.