BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- From drones scanning river embankments to fiber-optic sensors detecting hidden leaks, China is expanding its arsenal of high-tech equipment to bolster disaster management, enhancing capabilities that span early detection, monitoring and on-the-ground emergency response.
During this year's flood season, drones, fiber-optic sensors and electromagnetic detection devices have been deployed to inspect embankments for piping and seepage risks, effectively providing a "CT scan" of the structures.
Drones, using thermal imaging and other sensors, first scan large sections of embankments to flag suspicious areas that may indicate piping or seepage. Fiber-optic sensors then pick up subtle vibrations in the water, helping to pinpoint entry points across long distances.
Electromagnetic devices subsequently trace seepage channels inside the embankment and generate a three-dimensional image of underground water flows. All inspection data are fed into a cloud-based platform, where AI algorithms further screen and validate potential risks.
The system was developed by a team at the National Institute of Natural Hazards. Assistant researcher Liu Yong said it has helped detect leak points that might otherwise be missed during manual patrols.
According to the institute, the domestically built system has achieved a monitoring accuracy of over 95 percent. To date, it has been deployed in more than 50 major inspection missions, covering roughly 1,200 km of embankments and identifying 175 cases of piping, seepage and other hazards.
Another frontline asset is the powered pontoon bridge, a modular rescue system designed to ferry people and heavy equipment across floodwaters and rivers.
It requires no cranes or in-water personnel for deployment. Foldable pontoons, carried on an off-road truck, slide into the water and unfurl automatically, forming a floating platform 10 meters long and 8.3 meters wide in about 10 minutes. Depending on the mission, the unit can serve as a large ferry, a floating dock or a temporary bridge.
In July, heavy rainfall left parts of an education park in Guigang, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, under up to 7 meters of floodwater. Rescue teams used the pontoon system to evacuate more than 6,000 stranded students and teachers.
The bridge, independently developed by a Chinese state-owned enterprise, boasts a domestic component share of over 95 percent.
The growing adoption of these technologies reflects China's broader push to modernize its emergency management system, shifting from experience-based responses to data-driven decision-making, and from post-disaster rescue to preemptive risk prevention. It is also fostering a sizable industry.
A five-year plan released last week by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Emergency Management sets ambitious targets for the emergency equipment sector by 2030, calling for marked improvements in scale, technological capability, product quality and application breadth, with output in key areas projected to reach 1.4 trillion yuan (about 206.2 billion U.S. dollars).
The plan also urges breakthroughs in core technologies, wider deployment of emergency equipment and the cultivation of internationally competitive firms.
China's safety and emergency equipment industry has grown rapidly in recent years, with key-area output surpassing 1 trillion yuan in 2025.
In January, the two ministries issued a guideline aiming to achieve breakthroughs in more than 20 key technologies, develop over 20 types of innovative equipment, and promote more than 30 types of advanced equipment by the end of 2027.
"Moving forward, we will focus on urgent operational needs and key bottlenecks, strengthen independent innovation, and modernize emergency equipment in phases, prioritizing the most pressing capabilities," said Hou Xianjun, an official with the Ministry of Emergency Management. ■
