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National demonstrating communities for
comprehensive disaster reduction
The State Committee for Disaster Reduction has issued
a set of ‘Standards for national demonstrating commu-
nities for comprehensive disaster reduction’ to elaborate
the indicators for disaster reduction and promote the
work on community disaster reduction. The standards
take into account the current situation of disasters and
actual conditions of communities with a focus on the
working system for community disaster reduction;
investigation of potential disaster risks; contingency
plans for comprehensive disaster prevention and
reduction; the construction of disaster reduction facili-
ties and shelters; publicity, education and rehearsal of
disaster prevention and reduction; and the development
of disaster reduction volunteers. As of 2010, a total of
1,562 ‘national demonstrating communities for compre-
hensive disaster reduction’ have been created, greatly
enhancing the capacity of communities for disaster
reduction.
Publicity and education
A community-focused programme of publicity and
education on disaster prevention and reduction has
been carried out. In 2009, the Chinese Government
designated 12 May as the National Day for Disaster
Prevention and Reduction. It has carried out activi-
ties to publicise and provide education about mass
implemented a series of projects for community disaster reduction.
Examples of these projects include the following.
Project for the renovation of decrepit buildings for poverty-stricken
people in rural areas
– since 2005, RMB17.5 billion has been invested
and 5.8 million units have been renovated or built for poverty-
stricken people in rural areas, benefiting 1.8 million households or
6.5 million individuals.
Project for the renovation of decrepit buildings for primary and
secondary schools
– from 2001 to 2005, the central department for
finance has earmarked a fund of RMB9 billion for the renovation
of decrepit buildings for more than 40,000 primary and secondary
schools in rural areas. Since 2006, the nationwide maintenance and
renovation of buildings for primary and secondary schools at the
stage of compulsory education in rural areas has been included in
the funding system for compulsory education in rural areas.
Project for the safety of buildings in primary and secondary schools
–
since 2009, efforts have been made in anti-seismic consolidation and
capacity-building for comprehensive disaster prevention in primary and
secondary schools throughout the country, to ensure that school build-
ings meet the seismic safety standard for key seismic-proof buildings
and the safety requirements for the prevention of disasters and risks of
landslides, rock falls, mud-rock flows, tropical cyclones, fires etc.
Project for the fortification of construction and engineering facilities
– efforts have been made in improving the seismic safety evalua-
tion and management system for major construction projects; in
promoting the implementation of seismic safety projects for rural
residences; and in the construction, renovation or reinforcement of
about 2.45 million units of earthquake-proof housing.
Drills help local children understand what to do in the event of disaster
Image: Haikougang community in Hainan province