These horrific scenes that emerged from the city of Zhengzhou in July shocked the world.
The industrial and commercial hub in central China received
a year's worth of rainfall in just three days.
Chinese meteorological officials warned that extreme weather
will only become more frequent and serious because of climate change.
Following the natural disaster in Zhengzhou, many are now asking:
how is China tackling climate change?
Like the rest of the world, China is facing more frequent extreme weather.
The nation has seen more heat waves and heavy rainstorms. Temperatures
have risen by 0.24 degrees Celsius on average every 10 years.
China's coastal regions have also seen sea levels rise 3.4 millimeters per year.
The global average is 3.2 millimeters.
One study predicts that, if nothing is done,
China's economic powerhouses in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta
could suffer from higher tides and annual flooding.
Major coastal cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou
could also face more flooding and greater storm damage.
Greenhouse gases are a major contributor to climate change.
And while every country produces such emissions,
years of rapid economic growth have made
China the world's biggest source of the primary greenhouse gas
— carbon dioxide. The nation's CO2 emissions rose
from 3.3 gigatons in 2000 to over 10.1 gigatons in 2019.