WUHAN - The Changjiang Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources upgraded the emergency response for flood control in the Yangtze River basin to Level III on Saturday.

Level III is the second-lowest in China's four-tier emergency response system.

The commission instructed water resources departments in Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei and other province-level regions to work on monitoring, forecasting and warning of floods, while strengthening the inspection of reservoirs and embankments.

It also urged local governments to carry out disaster prevention and other work to ensure the safety of people's lives.

The commission launched a Level IV emergency response for flood control on Thursday.