BEIJING - Friday marked China's national day for disaster prevention and relief, which commemorates the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake that left more than 80,000 people dead or missing.
The day was established in 2009 to raise public awareness of disaster prevention and to increase knowledge and skills to enable survivors to better cope during and after disasters, according to China National Commission for Disaster Reduction.
The theme for 2017 is to reduce disaster risks in local communities and enhance relief capabilities at grass-roots levels.
Across the country authorities have told government agencies, hospitals, schools and communities to improve their emergency plans.
China has suffered some large-scale natural disasters, from extreme weather to geological events, causing huge losses of life and property.
Following are some facts and figures about China's major natural disasters and government efforts to reduce losses.
- Major disasters include torrential floods, severe droughts, extreme winter storms and massive earthquakes. In a guideline published in January, central authorities warned of the "complicated and serious" situation with regard to natural disasters.
- From 2011 to 2015, an average of 310 million people were affected by disasters each year, according to the commission.
- Natural disasters left 1,432 people dead and 274 others missing nationwide in 2016.
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