China’s flood-relief policies have long relied smaller, impoverished cities and villages to divert waters from big population centers
Public transportation is stalled and students are squatting on their chairs to study—today, Wuhan is overwhelmed by the recent rainfalls that continue to cause serious flooding all along the Yangtze River. At the same time, residents upstream of Wuhan have good cause to be bothered—when floods hit Wuhan, these communities outside the city are unwilling volunteers who take floodwaters for the team.