The Beijing municipal government's concern for residents living in ramshackle buildings is commendable, says a commentary in Beijing News. An excerpt follows:

The thirsty capital will soon face its wettest season. Different from past years, the new pre-warning plan has included moving residents out of ramshackle buildings when rainfall reaches 50 millimeters. The first batch of 140,000 copies of emergency guidelines has been distributed to every family living in unsafe buildings.

It is a key point, or a bottom line, to help the disadvantaged groups when the government establishes the city's disaster control system. Disadvantaged groups need the most help in disasters. The Beijing municipal government's decision to help the poor first is quite commendable.

Beijing is set to welcome the wet season in July. The dry city actually needs more rain, but that also means ramshackle buildings may be in danger. A total of 441,000 people live in such houses.

The coming wet season is indeed a danger time for those living in ramshackle houses. They will be worrying about the rain all the time. Protecting the lives and property of these people should be the top priority of urban flood-control work.

But in the past, concern was only expressed for these people when their houses were either in danger or had already been destroyed by the rain.

More work needs to be done to protect rivers, lakes, traffic and other projects. It is also important to assist people living in ramshackle buildings. The action taken by the municipal government can greatly improve their security. With a scientific and institutional flood control system, the aid will be more effective. This will also boost the ability of the residents to help themselves.

It is also necessary to include this aid to people living in ramshackle houses in the city's overall flood-control planning, program, laws and regulations. These ramshackle buildings cannot be renovated in a short space of time. This means that the threat of disaster will continue to hang over these households. If aid to these people can be written in laws and regulations, the implementation will be more effective.

The issue of people's livelihood should also be included in the capital's urban planning system and development strategy. To let all people living in safe buildings is the basic solution to this problem.

(China Daily June 28, 2006)