China warned against more frequent geological calamities

China's Vice Land and Resources Minister Shou Jiahua warned Thursday that her country is facing a rising trend of geological calamities, a deteriorating situation resulting from both natural and human factors.

Geological disasters caused by human activities are rising, and more than half of the disasters reported in recent years in the country resulted from road building, water conservancy construction, excessive tapping of underground water, mineral exploitation, irrigation on slopes, and other human activities, said Shou at a seminar on land and resources administration, held in this metropolis in the southwest part of the country.

China is keeping this year the momentum of fast economic growth, with the huge increase of fixed assets investment, thus shoring up the impact of human activities upon geological environment.

Climate change is also blamed for the rise of geological disasters in China.

Preliminary research shows that the southwest and southeast parts of the country are liable to experience landslides this year due to their local vast hilly lands, as will some provinces in the northwest region.

Shou called for keeping alert for the attack of rainstorms and long rainfalls, which usually greatly increase the risks of geological calamities.

Source: Xinhua