South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will allocate 8 million yuan (nearly US$1 million) this year to prevent geological disasters, an official with the regional Department of Land and Resources said Wednesday.

 

Meanwhile, the department asked local governments at various levels in the region, which is populated by the Zhuang minority ethnic group, to earmark exclusive funds for prevention of geological disasters, according to Wang Hai of the department.

 

"Guangxi is facing a severe challenge this year in preventing geological disasters in light of the available data," Wang said.

 

The greater part of the region is composed of hilly country lying at a height of between 1,500 to 3,000 feet, which makes Guangxi one of China's regions that have frequent geological disasters.

 

In 2005, the region reported 1,239 geological disasters, leaving 51 people dead, six missing and 38 injured, and causing a direct economic loss of nearly 80 million yuan and indirect loss of 25 million yuan, statistics with the regional Department of Land and Resources show.

 

Compared with 2004, the geological disasters rose by 581, the death toll increased by 6, and the direct economic loss went up by 37 million yuan.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2006)