Nation looks to stem tide of landslides and floods
Authorities nationwide are planning to strengthen their ability to prevent and mitigate the impact of landslides and floods in an effort to better respond to climate change, state broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday. The Ministry of Natural Resources will focus on the prevention of shallow landslides, which are widespread, and debris flows triggered by extreme rainfall, according to CCTV. Areas of focus include the Yaxia Hydropower Project construction site, the Yanshan-Taihang Mountains, the Three Gorges Reservoir Area and the Wumeng Mountains. Authorities will explore methods to identify and monitor geological hazard risks using aerospace remote sensing. Last month, landslides triggered by flash floods in northwestern Gansu province killed 25 people and another landslide in Chongqing in the southwest caused by a collapsed mountain left 51 dead. The country last year counted more than 270,000 geological hazard sites nationwide that collectively pose a threat to the safety of some 11 million people. (Reuters) Edited by Tony Sabine