What lessons can be learned after disaster?

Wenchuan earthquake made mountainsides more unstable

Fan Xiao, a senior engineer with the Sichuan Geology and Mineral Bureau of Regional Geological Survey Team / CHINA DAILY

Sichuan has quite unstable geological conditions because it is where the basin meets the mountain and the movements of the Earth's crust are very strong. During the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, many mountains in the region were damaged, which has increased the frequency of landslides.

In order to address this issue, the government has arranged for the mountainous areas of the province to be monitored since 2008, and organized many engineering programs to improve the local conditions. However, some people still construct their houses in dangerous areas. A large percentage of the land in Sichuan is in mountainous areas where the land available for construction is limited. In some cities they dig into the mountains for new constructions and in others there are even buildings located in places which are prone to floods.

The growing population and the accelerated urbanization process increase the risks of such disasters. We can have strict safety standards, but these standards must be strictly followed to ensure safety.

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