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China to revamp disaster warning system
By Wang Ying (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-01-09 23:08
China is poised to upgrade its early warning natural disaster system
following the devastation in southern Asia.
Government ministries have been "mulling" over modernizing their early
warning system by seeking international co-operation.
"The tsunami disaster has caused unprecedented losses and shows it can happen
when there is a lack of an efficient early warning and reporting system," said
Zou Ming, deputy director of Disaster and Social Relief Department under the
Ministry of Civil Affairs.
An upgrade may also cut back on the financial costs of natural disasters.
"Every year, the average direct and indirect economic loss caused by such
disasters accounts for 6-10 per cent of the nation's GDP," Zou said.
China is confronted by a range of natural and man-made hazards. Since the
1990s, natural disasters cost 150 billion yuan (US$18 billion) annually,
statistics show.
"China should urgently establish an integrated disaster warning and
information processing system. It should also enhance international
co-operation," Zou told China Daily during an exclusive interview.
Current system
Like many of its Asian neighbours, China has an established "central
government-oriented" disaster warning and relief system which has been expanded
to local government level.
The current system "guarantees that major disaster information" would reach
the central government within 24 hours, and the first batch of relief materials
would reach victims within the same time frame.
The country has 10 relief materials storehouses in risk areas. More than 56
per cent of local county governments have established their own emergency
storehouses across China, Zou said.
"However, the country's early warning systems need to be fully integrated to
improve efficiency," Zou said.
Different types of disasters are monitored and supervised by different
departments and institutions. Earthquakes are monitored by earthquake bureaux,
floods are supervised by water resource and meteorological departments and mud
slides are supervised by land and resource departments.
Each type of disaster has its own warning and information processing system
which is not compatible to others.
Integrated alert
"To better share information and improve efficiency, an integrated platform
should be established to coordinate all disaster warning and information," Zou
said.
His ministry met with disaster warning and relief experts over the weekend to
discuss China's strategies in responding to huge natural disasters in the
future.
Later this month, China will host a workshop with ASEAN to discuss
information sharing and international co-operation to establish an early-warning
mechanism.
Experts from the State Oceanographic Bureau said China has large tsunami was
unlikely because the country's coastal areas were surrounded by shallow waters,
and sheltered by a the continental shelf which "can reduce wave energy."
Statistics show China has witnessed three small tsunamis since 1949.
"The country should be fully prepared however, to prevent heavy losses from
other natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods," Zou said.
"The country is preparing to improve its law and policies on disaster
prevention," Zou said.
"There is no integrated law covering disasters, and this leads to low working
efficiency and overlapping," Zou said.
Disaster prevention law and policy is one of the most urgent tasks the
ministry needs to tackle this year, along with public disaster prevention
awareness education in schools and communities, he said.
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