China will take measures to effectively control human activities
triggering geological disasters, such as landslides and earth
subsidence within two years.
Detailed programming, closer monitoring and more complete legal
supervision will contribute to preventing further natural
disasters, said Land and Resources Minister Tian Fengshan.
Related statistics indicate 700 cities and counties are "seriously"
threatened by geological disasters, which claim more than 1,000
lives each year.
The latest serious disaster came earlier this month in Hubei
Province, central China. Four people were reported missing in
Badong County in a mudslide, while other residents were affected by
electricity cuts and road closures for several hours.
Tian said more than half of geological disasters are caused by
improper human activities such as excessive mining and wasteland
reclamation.
Therefore, the ministry will formulate the country's first
regulation on geological disaster prevention later this year.
The ministry is also set to dedicate the next two years to the
establishment of a complete and reliable warning mechanism covering
all Chinese regions designated as prone to geological
disasters.
"So far our ministry has investigated one-tenth of the country for
possible geological disasters and is steadily spreading the work to
other areas," he added.
Jiang Jianjun, director of the Geological Environment Department of
the ministry, called the investigation and monitoring system an
efficient way to prevent geological disasters.
Such monitoring has successfully forecast 1,000 geological
disasters in the past five years, saving 30,000 people and huge
assets, he said.
According to Jiang, China is also investing heavily in engineering
projects that treat the geological environment more delicately. "In
many cases, with proper engineering measures, many possible
geological disasters can be avoided," Jiang said.
China has invested 33.1 million yuan (US$4 million) in the field of
prevention since 1999.
This procedure has also been adopted to ensure the Three Gorges
reservoir is not affected by such geological disasters.
About 64 percent of the US$483 million project, involving 197 sites
in Hubei and Chongqing Municipality in southwest China, has so far
been completed, according to Jiang.
The project is scheduled for completion by June 1, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2003)