China has experienced sharp decreases in fatalities and economic losses caused by natural disasters since the Ministry of Emergency Management was established about three years ago, officials said.

The country saw the annual average number of people killed or missing as a result of natural disasters from 2018 to 2020 drop by 36.6 percent from the previous three years, Vice-Minister Zhou Xuewen told a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office on May 7.

As for the annual average proportion of direct economic losses in the country's GDP, the drop stood at 31.3 percent from the same period, he added.

Despite China being stricken last year by the strongest deluges since 1998, "the number of people left dead and missing by floods last year hit a record low," he noted.

Zhou attributed the achievement to rescue forces that have been increasingly strengthened since the ministry was established during the latest central government institutional reshuffle in March 2018.

The reshuffle saw 13 disaster relief-related responsibilities from 11 government bodies shifted to the new ministry.

For example, firefighters under the Ministry of Public Security and those from the armed forest police force responsible for forest fire control were transferred to the new ministry to form the national fire and rescue team.

Aside from upgrading the team of almost 200,000 members with new equipment, the ministry has been making accelerated efforts to establish crews with special rescue expertise, Zhou said.

He said the ministry has set up 461 teams dedicated to earthquake rescue, as well as 27 that focus on rescue missions spawned by disasters related to water, mountains and other geographical features.

"Civilian rescue teams have also experienced robust development," he said. "Currently, 1,775 such teams with over 620,000 rescuers have been registered across the country."

The ministry has also developed a watchman system at both the national and grassroots levels.

Now, ministry leaders work on duty around the clock throughout the year. They insist on holding daily consultations for disaster control during public holidays and other times when the risk of major accidents is high, Zhou said.

"They keep themselves prepared for emergency all the time," he said.

Shen Zhanli, spokeswoman for the ministry, said the more than 800,000 grassroots watchmen, who stay alert in case of natural disasters, have also played an important role in disaster prevention and control.

In fact, a landslide that occurred in Mazhe village in Enshi, Hubei province, last year－the most severe one recorded locally－resulted in no casualties thanks to a disaster watchman who had reported cracks he found on the ground and walls to local emergency authorities in a timely manner, she said.

According to local authorities, almost 8,400 residents were evacuated before the landslide occurred in July.

Shen said the ministry has designated May 15 to 21 as a week for advertising knowledge on disaster prevention and control. During this period, the ministry will organize emergency drills on early disaster warnings, first aid, evacuation and rescue to bolster the public's capability of coping with emergency situations.

"We hope more people can participate in disaster prevention, control and rescue and jointly build up a firm defense line for the people," she said.