GUIZHOU JUNE 28 – China floods again as heavy rains batter Guizhou for the second time in a week—yet thousands of kilometres away, the shockwaves of this climate-driven disaster hit close to home for Africa too. In Kenya and across East Africa, the images from Guizhou feel familiar: swollen rivers, submerged homes, terrified residents clinging to rooftops. The unfolding crisis in China is more than a distant headline; it’s a stark reminder of the increasingly brutal weather extremes that are becoming a shared reality across continents.
In Guizhou’s Rongjiang city, where nearly 300,000 people live, floodwaters surged past safety levels, reaching 253.5 metres—just days after hitting a record 256.7 metres, the highest since 1954. Over 40,000 residents had to be evacuated again this weekend, adding to the more than 80,000 displaced earlier in the week. The rain has been so intense, Rongjiang recorded double its average June rainfall in just three days. This is the same kind of intensity seen in East Africa earlier this year, when El Niño-linked storms swept across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, displacing thousands and overwhelming drainage infrastructure from Nairobi to Mombasa.
China’s response is telling: the government has expanded its disaster relief policy, pledging that 70% of compensation for destroyed homes, lost livestock, and central government funds will cover ruined crops. Meanwhile, in Kenya, counties like Kisumu and Garissa are still scrambling to rebuild homes, reopen roads, and get clean water to families impacted by recent flash floods. With climate-linked disasters on the rise, the global South—be it China or Kenya—faces the same urgent call: adapt or suffer.
What’s happening in Guizhou also echoes Kenya’s challenge of balancing development with resilience. Rongjiang had become a success story after escaping poverty through tourism, with viral village football tournaments boosting its local economy. But all that was swept away—under seven metres of water—showing just how quickly progress can be undone. The same warning applies to Kenya’s lakefront cities, arid counties, and fragile rural economies, where rising water levels or droughts can reverse years of effort overnight.
Whether it’s Guizhou’s collapsing bridges or Kenya’s flooded schools, the message is the same. Climate extremes are no longer “once-in-50-year” events. They are the new normal. For Kenya, the lesson is clear: invest in resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and community preparedness now—or be caught in the next wave of disaster headlines.
