**Flooding and Deforestation in the Yangtze River Basin - China, 1950s to 2020s**.

**Flooding and Deforestation in the Yangtze River Basin - China, 1950s to 2020s**.

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**Deforestation and its impacts from the 1950s to the 1980s**
In China's Yangtze River Basin, forests covered 22% of the basin's area in the 1950s, but by the 1980s they had shrunk to only 10%. This rapid decline was caused by excessive deforestation in upstream areas such as Sichuan and Hubei provinces. The loss of forests has reduced the water-holding capacity of the watershed, causing large amounts of topsoil to run off during heavy rains. As much as 2.2 billion tons of sediment flowed into the Yangtze River annually. This has caused the riverbed to rise, and the risk of flooding has skyrocketed. The river became so muddy and its ecosystem was severely affected. Habitats for fish and plankton were destroyed, and the lives of local residents and economic activities were severely damaged.

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**Policies and Initiatives since the 1990s**.
In the 1990s, the Chinese government focused on the problems caused by deforestation and introduced the "return to cultivation" policy. This policy aimed to return agricultural land to forests, thereby increasing water retention capacity and reducing flood risks. In addition, as part of international cooperation, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and other organizations provided assistance in planting protective forests and reducing soil runoff, mainly in Jiangxi Province, contributing to the restoration of the local ecosystem.

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**New Initiatives and Challenges in the 2010s**.
In the 2010s, efforts aimed at environmental conservation and sustainable development accelerated throughout the Yangtze River Basin. 2016 saw the Chinese government launch the "Yangtze River Economic Belt" plan, which promotes efforts to balance ecology and economic development, particularly along the Yangtze River. The plan recommended stricter environmental regulations and the introduction of green technologies for key enterprises to reduce the environmental impact of economic activities in the Yangtze River Basin.

In addition, preparation of the Yangtze River Protection Law began in 2017, and industrial waste management and crackdowns on illegal mining in the basin were strengthened. In conjunction with this, reforestation programs were strengthened and additional reforestation activities were undertaken in areas around the Three Gorges Dam. During this period, forest cover in the watershed began to increase again, with recovery exceeding 15% in some areas.

Furthermore, in the late 2010s, large Chinese companies such as Alibaba and Tencent introduced water quality monitoring systems utilizing AI technology. Data-driven environmental management has spread, enabling rapid identification of pollution sources and countermeasures.

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**Current and Emerging Issues in the 2020s**.
In the 2020s, flood damage is still frequent in the Yangtze River Basin. In particular, from June to August 2020, five major floods occurred in the Yangtze River Basin. Widespread inundation of cities in the lower basin, including Chongqing and Nanjing, is estimated to cause economic losses of several hundred billion yuan. The impact of environmental destruction caused by deforestation continues to be pointed out as a contributing factor to these floods.

The existence of the Three Gorges Dam has played an important role in mitigating such flood damage: during the "Yangtze River No. 5 Flood" in 2020, the Three Gorges Dam stored 7.66 billion cubic meters of floodwaters, reducing flood risk downstream. However, the operation of the Three Gorges Dam has been accompanied by environmental impacts and safety concerns, especially during floods, when the risk of dam failure has been a cause for concern.

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**Materials and the Role of Businesses**.
In order to solve environmental problems, reforestation is required to enhance carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption. In addition, the Three Gorges Dam Operating Company and the China Building Materials Group are investing funds in environmental restoration throughout the basin to ensure sustainable resource management. The widespread use of environmental monitoring systems through the use of Alibaba and Tencent technologies is also contributing to pollution management.

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**Summary**.
The flooding problem in the Yangtze River basin was triggered by environmental destruction caused by deforestation beginning in the 1950s, and its effects continue to this day. To overcome this problem, further afforestation activities, strengthening of environmental policies, and cooperation from companies and international organizations are essential. Improving the environment in this region will contribute greatly to sustainable development not only throughout China, but also on a global scale.