Raising Public Awareness for Disaster Reduction in China

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The United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for The United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER)Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER)

UN-SPIDER Awareness

Raising Outline

National Committee for Disaster National Committee for Disaster ReductionReduction

National Disaster Reduction National Disaster Reduction Center of ChinaCenter of China

3 December,20073 December,2007

————Report at United Nations/China Report at United Nations/China Regional UN-SPIDER WorkshopRegional UN-SPIDER Workshop

Contents

Awareness Raising in ChinaAwareness Raising in China

Awareness Raising StrategyAwareness Raising Strategy

Background of Raising Public Awareness for Background of Raising Public Awareness for Disaster Reduction in China(1)Disaster Reduction in China(1)

China remains one of few countries that are most severely afflicted by natural disasters across the world.

74% of provincial capitals and 62% of municipalities are prone to high-intensity earthquakes, over 70% of large cities and over 50% of the population are vulnerable to meteorological, seismic, geological and oceanic disasters.

For the past decade, China has faced a still more gloomy picture of natural disasters, with roughly 300 million people affected, 4 million houses collapsed, 4 million people evacuated and over 200 billion RMB yuan of direct economic losses incurred every year on the average.

the most severe summer drought since 1951 hit Sichuan and Chongqing,2006.

Shalan school was destroyed by flood in Heilongjiang Province, June 13, 2005.

Background of Raising Public Awareness for Background of Raising Public Awareness for Disaster Reduction in China(2)Disaster Reduction in China(2)

It is great significance to disaster mitigation by raising the public disaster reduction awareness especially to children.

As public disaster reduction awareness is relative weak, propagandizing disaster reduction knowledge is shouldering heavy responsibilities .

In order to deliver upon scientific outlook on development in all aspects and put people first in administration, the Chinese government attaches great importance to the work of public disaster reduction rising and considers it as a practical urgent task to effectively deal with disaster.

Important Progress of Public Disaster Reduction Awareness Raising in China

In April 2005, China National Committee for the International Decade on Natural Disaster Reduction was renamed as National Commission for Disaster Reduction, together with the creation of Board of Experts. NCDR is headed by a leader of the State Council, composed of 30 ministries and departments, including relevant military agencies and social groups. NCDR’s office is affiliated to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. To carry on a series of disaster reduction activities for public awareness-raising is an important responsibility of NCDR.

Community-based Disaster Reduction Campaign

TV Contest on Disaster Reduction and Emergency

Response

Important Progress(1)

Cases in point are as follows: the General Office of the State Council issued the Overall Program for the Implementation of Public Awareness Raising of Scientific Emergency Management; National Committee for Disaster Reduction of China, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Civil Affairs jointly issued Recommendations on Strengthening School Disaster Reduction; Governments at different levels and relevant departments have organized and unfolded science programs of all kinds to reach out to the public about knowledge in disaster reduction, raise public awareness of disaster prevention and equip them with proven know-how to save their own lives and others in case of disasters.

Important Progress(2)

Pop-science awareness campaigns on disaster reduction have been organized to “reach out to the rural areas, communities, enterprises and schools” about the knowledge needed for disaster resilience. Community Disaster Reduction Campaign and National Disaster Reduction Contest have also been undertaken to add more substance to the outreach campaigns. China has also built up capabilities to work out emergency response plans, embark on drills and build disaster-resistant facilities at the grass-roots level. With all these initiatives in place, the public are now more aware of how to live with disasters and the grass-roots communities are more resilient to disasters.

Important Progress(3)

Children and students education

To raise the disaster awareness of children and students is most important in China. To popularize the disaster reduction knowledge is very useful for them.

Important Progress(4)Different disaster reduction drills in China

Fight floods and disaster relief drill

Protecting against and

mitigating earthquake drill

air defense drill public health safety drill

anti-terrorist

cooperation drill

Important Progress(5)Quiz Competition through CCTV and local TV stations in China are

held to raise public disaster reduction awareness.

Important Progress(6)

Training is also an important measure to raise public disaster

awareness especially for governmental officials.

Important Progress(7)

As approved by the State Council, China has outlined National Eleventh Five-Year Plan for Comprehensive Disaster Reduction. The program is indicative of the fact that disaster mitigation has been incorporated into national and local programs of socio-economic development. National Eleventh Five-Year Plan for Comprehensive Disaster Reduction points out one of its goals is that “the public awareness of disaster reduction expertise will be raised markedly. Publicity of awareness knowledge and specialized education on disaster reduction shall be organized and educational training bases for publicity of scientific knowledge on disaster reduction shall be developed.”

Important Progress(8)

To set up national disaster website and national space technology for disaster reduction website via internet in China has made active effect in awareness-raising.

Important Progress(9)

China has issued a series of reading materials for publicity and education of awareness-raising.

Goals and Objectives

Develop an awareness-raising strategy centred on awareness-raising campaigns, which should identify target groups, set out guidelines for preparing campaign material, identify and set out guidelines for involving key partners, particularly national focal points, and establish distribution networksCarry out the awareness-raising campaigns defined in the awareness-raising strategy; produce specific publications, displays and education materials; arrange for the wide distribution of the campaign materials and record the experiences gainedInsert in the knowledge portal specific information on awareness-raising, including an e-training component for building the capacity of national focal points and a disaster-related education database

Targets (Beijing office)

Contents of Awareness-Raising Material

Basic knowledge of various disasters;General situation of regional and national disaster;National disaster management mechanism;Useful experience on scientific disaster mitigation and relief to let the

public know about the necessary skills and expertise in disaster prevention

and how to avoid dangers ;Basic knowledge on space technology and its effects to disaster

reduction;Outcomes for disaster reduction based on space technology;Some successful cases of disaster reduction based on space information;

Beijing office will develop publicity and educational products for space-

based disaster reduction, edit a series of relevant science reading

materials, wall maps and audio-video products, The contents should be

included are listed as follows

Activities on How to Raise Public Awareness (1)

Finalize the awareness-raising strategy In accordance with the responsibility of Beijing office and the 2008-2009 work plan, on the basis of analyzing different objects’ need, Beijing office takes responsibility of formulating globe awareness-raising strategy by collecting related information and summarizing China public awareness-raising experiences. The basic contents are as follows: 1. Aim of public awareness-raising; 2. Awareness-raising objects of space-based disaster reduction; 3. Planned implemented activities for raising public awareness including time, venue, form, contents and so on; 4. Work summary and effect assessment;

Activities on How to Raise Public Awareness (2)

Hold a workshop & press conference during the Beijing office opening

ceremony in Beijing; Beijing office can invite related officials, experts, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, news media to attend the press conference in order to propagate the work of Beijing office and disseminate publicity and educational products for space-based disaster reduction such as a series of related throwaways, wall maps and audio-video products.

Activities on How to Raise Public Awareness (3)

Carry out awareness-raising campaigns on the “International Disaster

Reduction Day” in different countries. According to the annual theme of “International Disaster Reduction Day”, Beijing office can implement a series of campaigns. For instance: In collaboration with national focal points ,Beijing office can establish some education bases of disaster reduction nationwide for public by making best use of existing venues and facilities, so as to let them learn more about space-based disaster reduction. To set up bulletin boards in public places to spread space-based disaster reduction expertise.

Activities on How to Raise Public Awareness (3)

To organize a training or convention on capability of space-based disaster reduction for specific interest groups, such as civil protection organizations, funding agencies, schoolchildren, news media and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. To organize an exhibition on the achievement of space-based disaster reduction for public. In cooperation with key partner, Beijing office can organize quiz competition to spread space-based disaster reduction knowledge. To launch special TV ,radio, newspaper, magazine programs dedicated to the publicity campaigns, and make not-for-profit advertisements on space-based disaster reduction.

Activities on How to Raise Public Awareness (4)

Establish a website for publicizing space-based disaster reduction

knowledge. As we all known, internet has become an important measure to spread information. It is beneficial to construct a website for public awareness-raising. As an effective tool for interactive long-distance learning , this website can help specific interest groups or public learn about Beijing office and much information on space-based disaster reduction.

Thanks for Your Kind Attentions!Thanks for Your Kind Attentions!

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