Toward a more natural cityscape | SDG Action (sdg-action.org)

On July 20 2021 a historic torrential downpour inundated Zhengzhou, a city of some 10 million people in China’s Henan province. Low-lying tunnels and underpasses trapped more than 500 passengers in a subway train, while hundreds of vehicles and buses were submerged within minutes. Businesses, homes, and office buildings were damaged from floods and landslides. The disaster claimed the lives of almost 300 people in Zhengzhou, with direct losses totaling USD 8.38 billion (CNY 53.2 billion). Outside the city, rivers and reservoirs swelled across the province, causing even bigger losses: a death toll of more than 500 people and an estimated economic hit of nearly USD 18 billion (CNY 114.3 billion).