Objective Facing frequent extreme climate disasters from global change, especially severe rainstorms and floods, human society faces unprecedented challenges. According to the Global Disaster Data Platform, floods have become one of the main factors causing global casualties and social and economic losses. In 2021, floods accounted for 56.13% of major natural disasters worldwide, causing 41.87% of disaster-related deaths. In the same year, the torrential rain in Zhengzhou caused 380 deaths and direct economic losses of 40.9 billion yuan. These data reveal the destructive nature of floods and the current disaster vulnerability of cities. Therefore, this study delves deeply into the ancient Chinese concepts and experiences of flood resilience, distills universal prevention and control strategies from the long-term flood control practices of the ancients, and provides scientific guidance for current urban construction and disaster prevention and mitigation, in order to enhance the flood resilience of cities, reduce disaster losses, and ensure the safety of people’s lives and property.
Methods To comprehensively analyze the concept of flood resilience in ancient China, this study adopts a multi-dimensional approach: by sorting out historical records and cases to construct a theoretical − methodological − practical cognitive framework, it explores its theoretical basis, methodological system and practical application; This paper analyzes the traditional concept from three aspects: flood control, flood response and flood adaptation. At the flood control level, it focuses on the construction, maintenance and strategy formulation and implementation of flood control facilities in ancient cities. At the flood response level, it explores the emergency mechanisms, rescue measures and post-disaster reconstruction of ancient people. At the flood adaptation level, it emphasizes the concept of coexistence between humans and floods, and achieves harmony between cities and floods by adjusting urban layout and optimizing water conservancy facilities. At the same time, from the perspectives of multi-party coexistence and game symbiosis, analyze the evolution and adaptation of the ancient flood control resilience concept in different historical periods and regional backgrounds to more comprehensively reveal its internal logic and laws.
Results After an in-depth analysis of ancient flood control ideas such as urban management and water conservancy projects, this study summarizes the evolution law of the flood control resilience concept from “passive prevention and control” to “active diversion” and then to “harmonious coexistence”. During the passive prevention and control stage, ancient people mainly built defense facilities such as city walls and DAMS to resist floods. Although this alleviated disasters, it had problems such as insufficient defense and high maintenance costs. With the advancement of technology and the deepening of understanding, active drainage strategies have gradually become mainstream. By excavating canals and building reservoirs to regulate water flow, the threat of floods can be effectively reduced. However, there are also limitations such as soil erosion and ecological damage. In the long-term practice, the ancients gradually formed the concept of harmonious coexistence with floods. Through measures such as afforestation and building wetland parks, they not only enhanced the flood control capacity of cities but also protected the ecology, achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.
Conclusion By analyzing the changes in the concepts and experiences of flood resilience in ancient China, this study draws conclusions and inspirations: First, the wisdom and experience accumulated by the ancients in long-term flood control have important reference significance for enhancing the current flood resilience of cities; Secondly, the ancient Chinese concept of flood resilience has undergone an evolution from “passive prevention and control − active guidance − harmonious coexistence”, which reflects the ancients’ profound understanding of the relationship between humans and nature. Thirdly, it proposes three levels of resilience disaster prevention experiences: “conforming to nature”, “adapting to the trend”, and “adapting to local conditions”. Conforming to nature means respecting the laws and conforming to the characteristics of floods, and achieving coexistence between humans and nature through reasonable planning. Adapting to the trend means making use of the terrain and hydrological conditions and adopting flexible flood control measures to enhance efficiency. Adapting measures to local conditions means adapting to the environmental and economic conditions of different regions and formulating strategies that are in line with local realities. These experiences are not only of great significance for enhancing the flood resilience of Chinese cities, but also provide references for disaster prevention and mitigation in cities around the world.
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