Agricultural flood resistance enhanced after returning farmlands to lakes

The "Returning Farmland to Lakes" (RFTL) project began in China following the catastrophic 1998 floods. It aims to recover flood storage capacity and mitigate flood risk to agriculture and people. This flood adaptation strategy divides the floodplain into three types of restoration polders with different flood control levels (double restoration polders, single restoration polders, and storage polders) and polders for intensive production and living (nonrestoration polders). During the substantial flooding in the Poyang Lake Basin in 2020, the double and single restoration polders were operated for flood diversion for the first time since 1999. This event provided an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the RFTL project. Using satellite observations of rice planting and flooding areas, we found that 86% of paddy rice areas (3,400 km²) in the basin were successfully protected due to the timely flood diversion into different levels of polders. Compared to 1998, the flooded rice areas decreased overall by 58% (18 to 92% in different types of polders). Thus, the RFTL project has enhanced regional agricultural resistance to floods. A more comprehensive assessment of the RFTL project, including other ecosystem services and functions, is necessary in the future for regional sustainable development.