Concluding Remarks

China is at an important stage of building an overall moderately prosperous society, and has a heavy and arduous task in its socio-economic development. Confronted with the increasingly serious threats of natural disasters, China has a long way to go in disaster prevention and reduction.

Although the Chinese government has made great efforts to reduce the risks and consequences of natural disasters, it is clearly aware that there exist inadequacies in the related work that need to be addressed immediately: The mechanism for coordinating and integrating relief efforts is not yet sufficient; the laws and regulations concerning disaster reduction as well as related policies need to be improved; a sound disaster monitoring system is yet to be set up; basic construction for disaster prevention and reduction cries out for greater support; and the public awareness in this regard needs to be enhanced. With the aim of raising China's overall capacity for and level of natural disaster prevention and reduction, the Chinese government will continue to put people first and make it a core task to raise the comprehensive disaster reduction capacity of the whole of society, that of the grassroots communities in urban and rural areas in particular, on the basis of improving public awareness of disaster prevention and reduction as well as disaster relief and self-rescue skills.

As natural disasters pose a common challenge to mankind, disaster reduction is a global effort. China will continue to work unremittingly to reduce the risks and damage posed by natural disasters together with the rest of the world for the development and progress of human society.

(China.org.cn May 11, 2009)