China establishes national database on natural disaster risks

China has established a comprehensive database on natural disaster risks across the country, with industry-specific databases in ten sectors set up, a senior disaster response official said on Wednesday.

Zheng Guoguang, director of the Office of the State Council's Leading Group for the First National Census on the Risk of Natural Disasters, made the remarks at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office on Wednesday.

He said that all 31 provincial-level regions have also established basic databases, achieving interconnection and data sharing.

The census, which ran from 2020 through 2022, targeted 23 types of natural disasters, including forest fires, earthquakes, debris flows, typhoons, tsunamis, droughts, and floods.

Zheng said that in recent years, China's disaster-causing factors, disaster-bearing bodies, and disaster reduction capabilities have been continuously changing over time, leading to changes in disaster risks. 

"Therefore, it is imperative to conduct routine, comprehensive surveys and assessments of disaster risks," he said.

The results of the survey and the following-up assessment have been used to ensure the safety of major events and strategic areas, said the senior official.

"We have incorporated the assessment results into special evaluations of disaster risks for major events and areas, such as the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Hangzhou Asian Games, and the Yangtze River Delta region, proposing suggestions for natural disaster prevention and extreme disaster response, which have achieved good results," Zheng said.

He added that different government departments have also actively promoted the application of the census results. 

For example, based on the results, the meteorological department has expanded its business scope to include assessing meteorological disaster risks and providing services for responding to extreme weather disasters, said Zheng.