Impacts of Climate Change on Huang He - China’s Yellow River

Christian Parenti’s Tropic of Chaos emphasizes our need to act urgently and effectively to mitigate and adapt to our changing planet. The Global South faces climate-driven crises exasperated by the combination of political, economic, and environmental disasters; the catastrophic convergence (Parenti, 7). As the climate crisis continues to unfold, it is crucial to maintain clean and accessible water systems and to prevent mass loss of land and life due to flooding. Loss of clean water access and livable land is a major concern brought up by Parenti. In Chapter 11 he addresses the conflict between India and Pakistan, stemming from each sides need for water. Parenti writes that climate change is increasing water stress and creating conflicts across South and Central Asia. While these conflicts are not exclusively caused by either climate change or access/rights to water, these issues “are key drivers of the conflict” (Parenti 123). He describes the increasing frequency to be expected as the climate crisis continues: “extreme weather, monsoon disruptions, flooding, drought, and rapid glacial melting” (Parenti 123). 

 

(Image from The Yellow River - Initiatives Rivers) 

In what is often referred to as the cradle of Chinese civilization, the Huang He, or The Yellow River, stretches 5,464 kilometers and represents many of the possible disasters Parenti expresses concern about. The river has a long history of flooding; more people have died from floods along The Yellow River than along all other rivers combined worldwide (Great Flood of the Huang-Ho River - Environment and Society Portal). In the past, the rivers floods have killed millions of people, and in the future flooding will likely be increasingly deadly and harmful to surrounding landscapes as weather patterns continue to become more polarizing each year.

(Image from Huang He (Yellow River) Britannica)  

The river is named for its rich yellow color, caused by the amount of yellow-brown silt carried by the rivers waters. The Yellow River has the largest silt concentration of all the major rivers in the world, “with every cubic foot of water carrying more that two pounds of silt” (Huang He (Yellow River) Britannica). It is the second longest river in China, with more than 100 million people living along its banks (The Huange Delta - World Delta Database). The river is prone to flooding, and heavy rain fall and clogged dam systems have led to devastating loss of land and life surrounding the river and its drainage basins multiple times throughout its history, with some floods lasting multiple years. 

When the river floods, “the water damages housing and crops across the North China Plain, an important agricultural region. Because of this, the Huange He is also nicknamed ‘China’s Sorrow’…Despite the possibility of flooding, the Huang He Valley basin in home to a huge population, and many of China’s oldest cities are situated along the river” (Huang He Valley - National Geographic). These cities are valuable and irreplaceable, as are the agricultural lands and communities that call the river basin home. It is important to protect this area from mass flooding and distraction. 

 

The Huange He Floods in 1887, 1931, and 1938 were a “series of devastating floods in China caused by the overflowing of the Huang He…collectively kill[ing] millions…considered to be the three deadliest floods in history and among the most destructive natural disasters ever recorded (Huange He Floods - Britannica). The flood of 1931 alone left 80 million people without homes; it is estimated that the flood “and ensuing disease and famine [left between] 850,000 to 4,000,000 people dead” (Huange He Floods - Britannica). 

With over 1 million people living near the river and its basins, the Huang He provides water, food through agricultural irrigation, and livelihood. As weather patterns shift to more extreme rainfall and dry seasons, the Huang He and the people who rely on it are guaranteed to feel effects. The river already being so prone to flooding with its high silt concentration means that the impacts of climate change have the potential to create unprecedented levels of damage and destruction to human life, biodiversity, and agricultural lands throughout a huge portion of Northeastern China. The rivers size means that these effects could be seen across a staggeringly large portion of the country, with ripple or butterfly effect impacts across the world. It is crucial when talking about climate change to acknowledge how interconnected our world is. Climate disasters are not isolated incidents – as time goes on they will affect more people and more land than has ever been documented. 

(Image from Huang He (Yellow River) Britannica) 

 

Looking to the past as a way to predict weather patterns in the future has been a long and often reliable process, and as the climate crisis grows it is fair to assume that future flooding of the Huang He will be significantly worse than floods of the past. This is a sobering reality, as floods in the past were already so devastating. It is imperative that work be done. One way China has tried to prevent mass flooding along the Yellow River is the placement of dams. The Xiaolangdi Dam for example was built in 1999, but scientists actually found “that the magnitude of moderate and large floods had in fact increased” since the dam was built (Dams are supposed to prevent floods. Some may make them worse - Science). Climate models also predict that rainfall near the Yellow River and its basins will increase by up to 30% by 2100, causing the river to flood as it fills to over its capacity. The silt content of the rivers waters make dams a specifically ill suited solution; the silt forms dunes that make it more difficult for the dam to contain flooding (Dams are supposed to prevent floods. Some may make them worse - Science). 

 

Considering the effects of floods along the Huang He in the past, it is clear that the growing climate crisis and subsequent weather pattern changes to rainfall will have significant impact on the river. It’s ability to provide water, irrigate agricultural lands, and support human, animal, and plant life in the future is dependent on our action to mitigate and adapt to the changing climate. As Parenti urges in Tropic of Chaos, it is imperative that we work together. Natural disasters and climate crises do not occur in vacuums – the Global North must abandon the ‘armed life-boat’, for the climate crisis will not leave anyone unscathed. The Huang He has a rich history of flooding, one that shows how flooding can impact populations after unprecedented rainfall. We must work together, united as Global Citizens to ensure access to water, food, and livable land are prioritized for all.