The “Key Work Priorities for National Geological Disaster Prevention and Control in 2022” emphasizes: rigorously addressing prominent issues in critical links.

The “Key Work Priorities” emphasizes rigorously addressing prominent issues in critical areas.

First, we will intensify investigative efforts and focus on addressing the questions of “where the hidden risks lie” and “what the structural issues are.”

Relevant directly affiliated units of the Ministry and the China Geological Survey shall promptly organize and carry out application experiments on domestically produced land‑observation satellites for geological hazard prevention and control, and swiftly establish the necessary supporting capabilities. Provincial natural resources authorities shall assemble technical teams and collaborate with relevant technical institutions to strengthen local identification of geological hazard risks and conduct ground‑based verification and validation. Provinces with the requisite conditions should actively establish provincial‑level core technical teams for comprehensive remote‑sensing hazard identification. Efforts should be intensified to conduct 1:50,000‑scale geological hazard risk surveys and assessments, as well as 1:10,000‑scale surveys in key areas; any significant hazards identified through these surveys and duly verified must be promptly incorporated into the prevention and control system.

Second, we will strengthen the monitoring and early-warning system and progressively enhance our capacity to forecast and issue timely warnings about the timing of disasters.

Deepen cooperation with meteorological authorities, further refine the meteorological risk‑early‑warning system and the mechanisms for issuing warnings and coordinating responses, and jointly carry out scientific and technological research as well as pilot projects. Further improve the community‑based monitoring and prevention system, strengthening the selection, replenishment, training, and incentives for community‑level monitors. Solidify and enhance the on‑site deployment of specialized teams, integrating the heads or technical leads of these teams into the local geological disaster prevention and control accountability framework. Continuously advance the development of an integrated early‑warning system that combines professional expertise with community participation; the 17 key provinces receiving central government funding for geological disaster prevention and control must complete, before the flood season, the installation and grid connection of universal‑type monitoring and early‑warning equipment. Strengthen research on threshold setting and early‑warning modeling, and establish a working mechanism that effectively integrates and synergizes universal monitoring and early‑warning systems with community‑based monitoring and prevention efforts. Refine the early‑warning response mechanism, ensure that designated disaster‑prevention entities and responsible individuals implement specific response measures, and truly achieve the goal of “response whenever there is an early warning.”

Third, we will strengthen the application of survey and assessment findings to enhance risk prevention and control capabilities.

Accelerate the advancement of geological hazard risk investigation and assessment, and strengthen the application of these findings across all relevant sectors. The six provinces and municipalities—Zhejiang, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Gansu—should further deepen pilot programs for dual‑control measures targeting both “hazard hotspots” and “risk zones,” while the China Geological Survey promptly coordinates with relevant agencies to provide technical guidance.

Fourth, strengthen research on strategies for the prevention and control of geological hazards in the context of climate change.

Relevant departments and bureaus of the Ministry shall organize pertinent technical institutions to conduct a thorough analysis of the impacts of climate change on the mechanisms underlying geological hazards, their development trends, and key areas for prevention, and to formulate recommendations for response measures. Local natural resources authorities at all levels are likewise required to guide their jurisdictions in strengthening basic surveying efforts and building disaster prevention and mitigation systems, and to ensure adequate preparedness for responding to sudden geological disasters.

The “Key Work Priorities” document proposes continuously enhancing the capacity of grassroots-level geological disaster prevention and control.

Strengthen publicity, training, and drills to effectively enhance disaster prevention capabilities at the grassroots level. Enhance inter‑departmental coordination and collaboration to forge a unified response to disasters. Steadily advance project implementation to maximize the effectiveness of funding. Actively promote the development of information‑technology‑driven standardization, thereby improving the management of geological hazards.

The “Key Work Priorities” emphasizes the need to make every effort to strengthen preventive measures in key regions and during critical periods.

According to forecasts, China’s precipitation in 2022 will be “abundant in the north and south, scarce in the central region,” with pronounced regional and seasonal droughts and floods. The situation regarding geological hazard prevention and control remains grave. During the flood season or periods of significant seismic activity, geological hazards are expected to occur frequently in Northeast China, North China, South China, Southwest China, and other areas. Local natural resources authorities at all levels in these regions should prioritize geological hazard prevention and control during the flood season as a key annual task, making every effort to implement all related measures. In particular, they must strengthen consultation and analysis, monitoring and early warning, and emergency response support during periods of heavy rainfall and following strong earthquakes; assist local governments in tightening management of evacuated and relocated populations; and strictly prevent the return of evacuees, thereby averting casualties. Furthermore, it is essential to reinforce emergency on‑call duty and information reporting, ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and rigor in conveying information when disasters or hazardous situations arise.

(This article was published on Page 1 of the China Mining News on March 28, 2022.)