Damage to Rural Living Environment Caused by Natural Disasters during Late Qing Dynasty and the Republican Period——A Study Centered on the Huaihe Valley

During late Qing Dynasty and the Republican period, disasters in the Huaihe River Basin were frequent and persistent, with high frequency of floods, droughts, locusts, earthquakes and epidemics. These disasters not only caused serious damage to the water, biology, geology and other natural environment of Huaihe River Valley villages, but also caused great damage to the social environment such as housing, transportation and production.