It is a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on the basis of judging the overall situation to improve the management of small and medium-sized rivers, reinforce small and medium-sized reservoirs to eliminate risks, strengthen prevention and control of mountain torrents-triggered geological disasters, and improve the ecological environment for those vulnerable areas. It is also a major disaster prevention and mitigation project affecting overall social and economic development after the campaign of harnessing large rivers in 1998.

I. Past Work

The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the management of rivers of various sizes and prevention and control of mountain torrents-triggered geological disasters. For many years, especially after 1998, investment has increased in the harness of large rivers, reinforcement of large and medium-sized dilapidated reservoirs, ecological improvement and environmental protection. As a result, remarkable achievements have been scored. A flood prevention and disaster mitigation system for trunks of large rivers has basically taken shape with a distinctively enhanced capacity to prevent floods, greatly improving the ecological situation across the country. Meanwhile, active efforts have been made in reinforcement of small dilapidated reservoirs, harness of small and medium-sized rivers, prevention and control of mountain torrents-triggered disasters.

However, China is a nation with a large number of rivers. More than 9,200 small and medium-sized rivers with their drainage areas greater than 200 square kilometers each are challenged by flood prevention tasks. These rivers include branches of large rivers, rivers directly flowing into sea and inland rivers, the majority of which are yet to be managed systematically and effectively so far. Presently, most of the 87,000 reservoirs in China were built in 1950s-1970s under low construction standards. These reservoirs are now in serious disrepair and a large proportion of them are dilapidated. 4.63 million square kilometers of mountainous areas are faced with tasks of prevention and control of mountain torrents-triggered geological disasters. The area of key prevention and control regions is around 970,000 square kilometers, concerning a population of 130 million, which highlights the toughness of the task. Small and medium-sized rivers and areas vulnerable to mountain torrents-triggered geological disasters are still weak links in ecological improvement programs. From the flood disasters in recent years, we can find the number of death and missing people and direct economic losses caused by small and medium-sized rivers and mountain torrent-triggered disasters account for over 70% and two third of the total respectively. In particular, flood and waterlog disasters and serious mountain torrents-triggered geological disasters that have happened since the flood season started this year fully exposes problems such as low flood prevention standards for small and medium-sized rivers, greater difficulty for small and medium-sized reservoirs to undergo the flood season, heavy tasks to prevent and control mountain torrents-triggered geological disasters, insufficient efforts in ecological improvement. General Secretary Hu Jintao of the CPC Central Committee and Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council and other state leaders have paid close attention to the latest development of floods and disasters and mapped out important guiding principles and comprehensive plans promptly for the prevention and control of floods and geological disasters. Under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, with the concerted efforts of the People's Liberation Army and the people, the disaster control and relief work has been carried out in a timely, forceful and orderly manner, which minimizes the losses. While intensifying the efforts in disaster control and relief, post-disaster restoration and reconstruction, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council require from a long-term perspective that we should loose no time in prioritizing the management of small and medium-sized river, reinforcement of small and medium-sized reservoirs to eliminate risks, prevention and control of mountain torrent-triggered geological disasters and comprehensive management of ecologically vulnerable areas in the work of developing a flood prevention and disaster mitigation system; and that these prioritized tasks should be integrated on the basis of scientific planning and carried out conscientiously.

Recently, the State Council promulgated Several Opinions on Improving Small and Medium-sized River Management and Prevention and Control of Mountain Torrents-triggered Geological Disasters. This document makes overall deployment with regard to improving small and medium-sized river management and prevention and control of mountain torrents-triggered geological disasters. It requires all local governments and departments to pay great attention to relevant work, enhance organization and guidance, fulfill work responsibilities, intensify efforts in this regard, improve working mechanisms and strengthen coordination to push forward comprehensive management in a forceful and orderly way.

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