State Councilor Wang Yong, who is also head of China’s National Committee for Disaster Reduction, called for improvement in the nation’s disaster prevention and reduction capabilities, on March 17 in Beijing.

He made the comment during a plenary meeting of the committee where he gave credit to achievements in disaster prevention and reduction during the 12th Five-Year Plan period.

Difficulties and challenges remain, he said, and prevention should be the priority and a new mechanism should be set up to improve comprehensive capabilities of natural disaster prevention.

He stressed that the work of disaster prevention and reduction has great significance in the first year of the 13th Five-Year Plan, and efforts should be made in overall planning, promoting management system reform, strengthening disaster monitoring and early warning, and enhancing public awareness.

He also emphasized efforts in reducing damage caused by disasters and safeguarding people’s lives and properties, especially in rural and poverty-stricken areas as well as regions inhabited by ethnic minorities.