Characteristics of Natural Disasters in China

There are many types of disasters. China's natural disasters are mainly meteorological disasters, earthquake disasters, geological disasters, marine disasters, biological disasters and forest grassland fires.

Wide geographical distribution. China's provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) are affected to varying degrees by natural disasters, more than 70% of the city, more than 50% of the population in the meteorological, earthquake, geological, marine and other natural disasters serious areas. More than 2/3 of the land area is threatened by floods. The eastern, southern coastal areas and some inland provinces are frequently hit by tropical cyclones. Northeast, northwest, north China and other regions frequent drought, southwest, south China and other places serious drought has occurred. All provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have occurred more than five destructive earthquakes. Accounting for 69% of the mountainous land area, plateau region due to complex geological structure, landslides, landslides, landslides and other geological disasters occur frequently.

The occurrence frequency is high. China is strongly affected by the monsoon climate, frequent meteorological disasters, local or regional drought almost every year there will be an annual average of the eastern coastal area of about 7 tropical cyclones landed. China is located in the Eurasian, Pacific and Indian Ocean three plate intersection, active tectonic movement, seismic activity is very frequent, the mainland earthquake accounts for global land destructive earthquakes 1/3, is the world's largest earthquake in the country. Forest and grassland fires occur from time to time.

Serious loss of human wealth. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs statistics, in 2009 the national natural disasters caused a total of 480 million people (times) affected, due to death and missing 1528 people, emergency transfer resettle 709 million people, collapsed housing 830,000, 4721 million hectares of crops affected, 4.91 million hectares, direct economic losses of 252.3 billion yuan.

Source: Atlas of China's Natural Disaster System