Annual assessments are carried out during the flood-season under the guidance of local government, particularly on landslide, mudslide and flood risks. School furnishings and equipment are also designed and installed to lessen the harm they might cause during an earthquake.

China is the most earthquake-prone country in Asia. Over the past 50 years, the nation has experienced an average of three earthquakes per year which have been serious enough to prove fatal or affect hundreds of people. These seismic events have resulted in a total of 380,000 deaths, averaging over 7,500 per year, with a total of 76million people affected. In the future, the average annual loss due to earthquakes in China is predicted to be US$7billion.

The 2008 Sichuan quake was the deadliest in China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake which killed at least 240,000 people, and the strongest since the Chayu earthquake in 1950. In recent years, around 20 people were killed and more than 500 injured in the 2017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake, again in the Sichuan Province; and more than 600 lives were claimed in the 2014 Ludian quake.

Date:

10 May 2018

Sources:

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (UNISDR AP)

Themes:

Education & School Safety, Critical Infrastructure

Hazards:

Earthquake

Countries:

China