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Overview
China is one of the countries most affected by natural disasters since it is located in unstable monsoon regions. It had 5 of the world's top 10 deadliest natural disasters; the top 3 occurred in China: the 1931 China floods, the 1887 Yellow River flood, and the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake.

Natural disasters occur frequently in China, affecting more than 200 million people every year. They have become an important restricting factor for economic and social development. In the course of recorded history, many types of natural disasters – except volcano eruptions – have occurred in China, which include floods, droughts, meteorological, seismic, geological, maritime and ecological disasters as well as forest and grassland fires. These natural disasters pose serious threats to life and property safety to China and its people and severely affect the comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable development of China’s economy and society. In addition, they threaten China's national security and social stability and stand in the way of economic development in some regions and poverty alleviation of some rural populations.

Floods
China has had 6 of the world's top 10 deadliest floods and landslides of all time; the top 5 all occurred in China. Estimated deaths in the 1931 China floods range between 2 million and 4 million, listed as the deadliest flood of all times, which is also the deadliest natural disasters of all times. The 1887 Yellow River flood ranked second in death toll in both flood and natural disaster, claiming lives of between 0.9 million to 2 million. The 1938 Yellow River flood was third, with 500,000–700,000 deaths. After a record grain harvest of 466 million metric tons in 1995, another record crop of 475 million metric tons was expected in 1996. This yield was anticipated despite torrential summer rains throughout China that flooded 32,500 square kilometres (8 million acres) of cropland, caused thousands of deaths, left millions homeless, and cost billions of yuan in damage. The Yellow River crested at its highest recorded level, inspiring fears of a catastrophic dike breach. Nevertheless, over the past 50 years, natural disasters on average have reduced China's harvests by approximately 1% annually. Work proceeded on the world's largest flood-control and hydroelectric project, the controversial Three Gorges Dam on the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) above Yichang. Chinese planners were considering huge water-diversification projects to channel excess water from the Chang Jiang to arid northern regions. Since so many people live near the water, floods have the potential to do a lot of damage.

Earthquakes
China had 3 of the top 10 world's most fatal earthquakes, including the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake that reportedly killed more than 800,000 people, listed as the deadliest earthquakes of all times and the third deadliest natural disaster. The 1976 Tangshan earthquake, with death toll estimated to be between 242,419 to 779,000, is ranked the third deadliest earthquake of all times, and 8th deadliest natural disaster. The 1920 Haiyuan earthquake killed 200,000 to 240,000, ranked the fourth deadliest earthquake and 9th deadliest of all natural disasters. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake that took lives of close to 70,000 was the greatest since 1976. In total, earthquakes have been the greatest killer. As a result of earthquakes, 87,476 people have died. The large majority of people in the earthquake-affected areas were rural residents who were relatively underprivileged compared to those in other parts of China. he mountainous western region is geographically isolated, scarce in resources and population, and home to many of China’s ethnic minorities. It is relatively isolated and economically underdeveloped, with a vulnerable ecology and limited industrial development. Most of the heavily-hit zones are located in these western mountains and valleys, which are difficult to access under normal circumstances and were extremely difficult to reach for rescuers facing destroyed or blocked roads as well as secondary disasters. The People's Republic of China established a National Earthquake Administration in 1971 to take charge of monitoring, research, and emergency response for earthquakes. It was renamed China Earthquake Administration (CEA) in 1998, mandated by the Earthquake Prevention and Disaster Reduction Act of PRC under the State Council. Each provincial, autonomous regional, and centrally-administered municipal government also has its own earthquake administration that is under the direction of CEA. , PRC

Famines
China had 6 of the world's top 10 deadliest famines; the top two occurred in China. The CCP, at the time, officially blamed the Great Chinese Famine between 1958 and 1961 that killed between 20 million and 43 million on natural disasters. If this were true, it would be the #1 deadliest famine. Another famine that occurred in 1907 was said to have claimed 24 million lives, ranked as #2. Emergency Management The National Disaster Reduction Center (NDRC) of the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) is a specialized agency under the Chinese Government engaged in information services and supporting decisions on various natural disasters. It provides reference for disaster-management departments in their decision-making and technical support for China's disaster-reduction undertakings by way of collecting and analyzing disaster information, assessing disasters and emergency relief, and analyzing and studying disasters using such advanced technology as satellite remote sensing.

Storms
Severe storms are the most abundant type of disaster, occurring 200 times and affecting around 100,000,000 people. Storms range from rainstorms to dust storms. Both have significant consequences. While heavy rain reduces the effect of drought, it causes rivers to flood which also kills crops and people.

Cryogenic Freezing
China experienced cryogenic freezing in January 2008. This resulted in freezing over the Yangtze River Basin and much of southern China. Snowfall, freezing rain, and rainfall were all observed during the freezing with high intensities, along with extremely low temperatures.

Causes of Natural Disasters
A significant cause of storms in China are the seasonal monsoons which are usually accompanied by precipitation. Many of China’s floods result from the frequent flooding of the Yellow River due to water displacement when the loess from the Loess Plateau is deposited in the river and builds up at the bottom. China also has many fault lines, especially in southwestern China, which cause many earthquakes.The causes of cryogenic freezing in China is uncertain, but some factors include the confrontation between a cold front from the polar region and warm air from the ocean, along with abundant water vapor and an intense updraft.

Population
The annual average affected population reached 358 million people who made up 30 % of the national population. Over the years, the number of deaths have decreased but during major disasters, many lives are still lost. As the population and development of China continue to increase, so does the number of people who are affected. As a result, China is looking at new ways to improve their disaster response and prevention programs.

Agriculture
During the past 30 years, the average area of affected crops reached 45.1 million ha which is 30% of the total sown area of farm crops. The annual average damaged area of crops was 23.8 million which accounted for 16% of the total sown area of farm crops. Crops are extremely vulnerable to all types natural disasters in China. Even the most subtle changes in the environment can be deadly to the plants. Since most crops are also near the water, floods can decimate entire crops.

Economic Security
Economic losses extended from USD 8.23 billion to USD 212.30 billion, and the annual average direct economic losses caused by natural disasters amounted to USD 39.35 billion, which is ten times the losses suffered by the developed countries like the United States. The range of direct economic losses caused by natural disasters over 30 years, as a proportion of annual gross domestic product (GDP) was 0.7% to 5.6%. The greatest source of economic damage comes from droughts which on average cost 954,328.22(US dollars x 1000).