Through careful planning aimed at sustainable development, China has stepped up efforts to exploit its mineral resources, including crude oil, while ensuring the development won't trigger geological disasters.

At a press conference yesterday, Wang Guoqing, vice director of the Information Office of the State Council, dismissed doubts that the country's efforts to develop a huge strategic oil reserve will impose a dangerous burden on the environment.

China ranks among the nations most severely affected by geological disasters. Every year for the past several, it has sustained upwards of 10 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) in economic losses and about 1,000 deaths. Such occurrences are mainly due to the earth subsiding, mud and rock flows and landslides.

The central government proposed the idea of establishing a new strategic oil reserve system as early as 2001. But official confirmation from the State Development and Reform Commission did not come until late last year, when news broke that a special team under the commission had been set up to carry out the task.

Observers believe that the reserves should be developed via international deals and increasing domestic production.

Vice Minister of Land and Resources Shou Jiahua acknowledged at the press conference that the number of geological disasters caused by improper exploitation, mainly excessive mining, has been increasing.

For example, coal mining in north China's Shanxi Province, as well as excessive extraction of underground water in east China's Shanghai and Jiangsu Province, have caused sinkage, with economic losses of over 1 billion yuan (US$120.8 million) each year.

However, China will no longer develop willy-nilly at the price of harming the environment, said Wang.

The country's first Regulation on Geological Disaster Prevention and Treatment, which will become effective on Monday, will provide guidelines for developers to follow.

According to Shou, the new regulation establishes a national mechanism to better coordinate local disaster prevention efforts.

Authorities can use it to punish those who act irresponsibly, especially officials who do not include geo-environmental evaluation in local urban planning. Punishments can be fines ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 yuan (US$12,080 to 60,390), administrative demotion or removal or criminal penalties.

Because they result in part from natural forces, geological disasters cannot be completely eliminated. But Shou believes that more effort will bring obvious reductions in numbers and losses. Using its national monitoring network, the ministry was able to forecast more than 1,100 geological disasters in 2002 and 2003, avoiding possible injuries or deaths of nearly 36,000 people.

Shou said the ministry has finished geological surveys in the 545 cities and counties most prone to geological disasters, covering a total area of 1.5 million sq km.

"We have thus gained the initiative in fighting geological disasters," she said.

(China Daily February 27, 2004)