Guiyang city promotes disaster prevention, mitigation

Guiyang students learn about avoiding danger during an activity. [Photo/ddcpc website]

The Guiyang Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning staged a promotional event for disaster prevention and mitigation at the No 4 Middle School in Kaiyang county – administered by Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province – on May 12.

The activity included lectures, a knowledge quiz and an exhibition.

The bureau is also soliciting disaster prevention and mitigation-related articles until the end of August, offering awards to the best. Winning articles will be published on multiple platforms to spread awareness in the general public.

Guiyang's typical porous karst landform which can fracture easily renders its geological environment very fragile.

Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves.

The whole city is reportedly prone to potential geological hazards and 63 percent of Guiyang's area is said to be highly prone to geological disasters.

The activity aimed to raise the public's awareness of geological hazards, popularize disaster prevention knowledge and help the public master skills for escaping from dangerous situations.

In recent years, Guiyang has suffered a series of geological disasters. Last year, Guiyang identified  9,487 potential hazards across an area covering 32,479-square-kilometer areas. It reportedly avoided five geological disasters, evacuated 277 citizens and prevented 37 million yuan ($5.78 million) in potential financial losses.