Extreme weather calls for more attention

The torrential floods in the conventionally dry countries such as Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, and the serious drought in the pluvial basin of the Yangtze River, which directly resulted in the drying-up of the 3,200-square-kilometer Poyang Lake in Jiangxi province, are all grave reminders of the urgency of the climate emergency.

With previously abnormal climatic conditions becoming normal around the world, belated responses will result in a heavy loss of lives and properties.

In China, the current emergency management system is already outdated as it is largely designed on the premise that abnormal extreme weather conditions are rare, and it is basically limited to the mobilization of State power. A new emergency management system should pay more attention to engaging social organizations, the public and other non-governmental players.

At present, emergency management resources are mainly concentrated in urban areas, and the rural areas deserve more input to help them deal with the challenges of extreme weather conditions. Agriculture is directly subject to the effects of abnormal climate conditions. And the planning and construction of rural neighborhoods generally lags behind those in cities－many villages are located near rivers, on mountain slopes, in valleys or even in dried-up riverbeds－making farmers more vulnerable to disasters incurred by extreme weather conditions.

Although new technology has given rise to all kinds of professional early warning monitoring systems, different departments, such as public security, transportation, civil affairs, natural resources, water resources and health, lack coordination, which often means the response to the warnings is late or flawed.

In particular, local governments should strengthen the disaster prevention and rescue functions of urban infrastructure, and carry out regular assessments of the capacity of key regions to plug the loopholes in their extreme weather response systems. The government should increase its funding into the research and development of relevant technologies and the building of disaster-resistant infrastructure and facilities.

As far as social organizations are concerned, they should actively play an important role in the emergency rescue system, strengthen joint exercises and training and regional links, and do a good job in raising funds for professional emergency teams and materials and to pay the costs of rescue work.

For individual residents, they should improve their awareness of disaster prevention and self-rescue ability, and actively participate in relevant drills, which should also be made a required course in the country's compulsory education system.

Emergency management should focus more on pre-warning than disaster rescue and relief.