China is expanding its geological disaster risk management framework by shifting from the management of individual hazard points towards broader risk-zone-based prevention and control, according to a new five-year plan released by the Ministry of Natural Resources. (chinadailyhk)
The Implementation Plan for National Geological Disaster Prevention and Control during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–30) responds to rising risks from extreme weather and climate-related events. By the end of 2025, China had identified more than 270,000 geological disaster points, threatening over 11 million people nationwide. (chinadailyhk)
Under the new plan, China intends to deploy more than 4,200 engineering solutions, eliminate over 6,100 hazard sites, and relocate approximately 50,000 households from high-risk areas during the five-year period. (chinadailyhk)
The authorities will also introduce dual management of both individual hazard points and wider risk zones across 1,206 key counties, cities or districts in 17 priority provinces. Accountability and risk-management lists will be established to strengthen responsibility for prevention measures. (chinadailyhk)
China has increased the number of designated key geological disaster prevention zones from 16 under the previous five-year plan to 21 under the new framework. The expanded zones include areas surrounding the lower Yarlung Tsangpo River hydropower project, high-altitude regions vulnerable to long-distance disaster chains, and the Yanshan-Taihang Mountain region. (chinadailyhk)
The plan also places greater emphasis on understanding the relationship between climate conditions and geological hazards. Research will focus on how extreme rainfall, temperature fluctuations and rapid transitions between drought and flooding can trigger geological disasters. Authorities intend to develop improved risk-assessment models and early-warning systems for increasingly unpredictable climate conditions. (chinadailyhk)
Technology will play a significant role in the programme. Detailed geological disaster surveys at a scale of 1:10,000 will be carried out in key towns within extremely high- and high-risk areas. Technologies including artificial intelligence and digital twins will be deployed to improve hazard identification and disaster early warning. (chinadailyhk)
China also plans to establish a unified digital disaster-prevention platform integrated with the country’s national natural-resource management and spatial-planning system. Dedicated applications will be deployed across priority regions to improve coordination and risk monitoring. (chinadailyhk)
The initiative reflects a broader move towards proactive disaster risk management, combining physical mitigation measures, relocation, detailed risk mapping, digital technology and climate-focused early-warning capabilities to reduce casualties and property losses. (chinadailyhk)
