2016年CRI China: increasing people's awareness and abilities of disaster prevention

 

Natural disasters across China this year have killed at least 1,074 people with 270 others still missing, according to the Ministry¹ of Civil Affairs.

Deputy head of the disaster relief department of the ministry, Yang Xiaodong said that the most notable events included floods, strong winds, hailstorms and a range of geological disasters.

"The loss since this June accounts for 60 to 90 percent of the total loss caused by natural disasters this year. The provinces of east China's Anhui, Jiangsu and Jiangxi, southeast China's Fujian, southwest China's Guizhou, north China's Hebei, and Central China's Hubei, were the hardest hit."

According to the ministry, since June, natural disasters have left 833 people dead and 233 people missing, the largest number of casualties in the same period since 2011.

According to the experts, the most efficient way to reduce the loss caused by disasters is to increase people's awareness² and abilities of disaster prevention.

Liu Chang is a police officer at Zhoushan in east China's Zhejiang province who just gave a speech about relief and self-relief during disasters. He said:

"We keep giving safety education to the people and organizations in the area, and carrying out exercises. Once a disaster occurs, people are able to minimize their loss."

In Altay in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous³ Region in northwest China, army soldiers often organize the students in local schools to participate in earthquake drills. Ning Panpan is a middle school student.

"Through the practice, we improve our skills in self-rescue and escape. When an earthquake occurs, the most important thing is to keep calm."

Shan Chunchang is an expert at China National Committee for Disaster Reduction who believes that disaster relief exercises are an effective way to improve people's abilities of self-rescue and self-protection.

"Exercises are very good means of raising public awareness and relief headquarters staff's ability to handle emergencies. We propose promoting the exercises into factories, schools, countryside, communities and families. This will improve each individual's self-help and mutual⁴ aid capabilities⁵. In addition, in the course of the exercises, a variety of mechanisms⁶ will be running together, and will be improved and perfected in a walkthrough."

China is one of the country’s most prone⁸ to natural disasters. Now the government is working on polishing the mechanism⁷ for coordinating⁹ and integrating relief efforts and improving the laws, regulations and related policies concerning disaster reduction, as well as enhancing disaster public awareness.

For CRI, I am Chi Huiguang.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

3 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

4 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

5 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

8 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

9 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白