Update

'The role of the satellites will be significant when China faces such natural disasters as this year's snowstorms and massive earthquake,' said Bai Zhaoguang, a leading scientist and designer of the satellites....

'If you can prevent something from happening, you probably have to pay out less dollars on prevention than after it happens. So we got to work on that.' said Federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day

'Bhutan is one of the seismically active regions in the world and education and awareness on disaster management and preparedness in school is crucial' said Mahesh Nakarmi, emergency management expert....

The central coastal province of Quang Nam is prepared to relocate 18,000 families with almost 73,000 members living along the coastline to safer places to protect them from natural disaster threats....

The first of eight new satellites, to be launched this week, 'is expected to forecast and monitor natural disasters', said Wu Xiaoqing, vice minister of Environmental Protection....

Drills took place all across the nation today to mark 'National Disaster Prevention Day' which envisioned earthquakes in the Tonankai and Nankai regions...

The last day of the International Disaster and Risk Conference IDRC 2008 in Davos was dedicated to the Wenchuan earthquake in China....

All aspects of disaster prevention, mitigation and relief have to be combined into a holistic approach of an integral risk management according to experts participating in day 4 of the conference....

Day 3 of the conference covered the issue of pandemics and diseases - a constant threat in a globalized world...

"Disasters in any form bring so much suffering and disorder to our people" said Abdul Jalil Basiri, Afghanistan Red Crescent, "we have to come together to reduce their impact on human lives"....