Disastrous winter weather has caused 16.2 billion yuan (US$2.25
billion) in losses for China's forestry sector, Cao Qingyao, State
Forestry Administration (SFA) spokesman, said in Beijing on
Saturday.
Disastrous winter weather
has caused 16.2 billion yuan (US$2.25 billion) in losses for
China's forestry sector, Cao Qingyao, State Forestry
Administration spokesman, said in Beijing on
Saturday.
By January 31, 2.49 million forest workers and residents of 14
provinces and regions had been affected. Some 120,000 houses were
wrecked or had collapsed, he said. The weather also damaged 5.46
million hectares of bamboo, 5.18 million ha of forest and 36,700 ha
of seedlings.
The cost in treating sick wild animals and economic loss from
animal deaths reached 17 million yuan, Cao said.
The death toll for wildlife killed this winter was
unavailable.
On Hunan Province's frozen Dongting Lake, the cold weather and a
lack of food put the lives of 160,000 migratory birds at risk, the
China Green Times, published by SFA, reported.
Cao said the administration had allocated 4.3 million yuan to
aid 39,000 households worst hit by the disaster in Hunan, Hubei,
Anhui, Jiangxi and Guizhou provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
Region.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Finance earmarked 30 million yuan
for these disaster-stricken areas.
The severe weather of the past three weeks could persist until
Feb. 9, according to the latest Central Meteorological Station
forecasts.
Total economic losses, so far, had amounted to about 53.9
billion yuan, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Friday. It said
the snow had killed at least 60 people and forced nearly 1.759
million to relocate.
Premier calls for courage, patience
Donations appealed for snow
victims
306,000 troops mobilized to combat snow
disasters
Snow havoc causes heavy economic
losses
Severe winter weather may persist for another
week
China fights 'war' against snow
havoc
Winter storm to continue:
forecaster
China issues red alert for
snowstorms
Brutal weather takes rising toll
Heavy snow piles on the
agony
Pre-holiday travel peak at
standstill
Gov't urges conservation to ease winter
power disruption
(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2008)
