China Foundation for Rural Development
China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development (CFFPD)
Country Profile
Population: 1.4 Billion (2021)
Major Threats: Earthquakes, Typhoons, Floods, Drought, Sandstorms, Storm Surges, Landslides and Debris Flows, Hailstorms, Extreme Temperatures, Outbreaks of Pests, Disease from Rodents, Forest and Grassland Fires, and Red Tides
Populations Affected: 30% of all population
Locations Affected: Different Regions Including Provinces, Autonomous Regions, and Municipalities are Experiencing Varying Degrees of Adverse Effects From Natural Disasters
Industries Affected: Industrial, Agricultural, Fisheries, Tourism
Compounding Issues: Climate Change, Rapid Industrialization, and Urbanization
World Risk Index Ranking: 8
Global Climate Risk Index: 32 (2019)
China experiences a wide array of significant natural disasters, including meteorological events, earthquakes, geological upheavals, oceanic disturbances, and biological crises. These numerous hazards collectively encompass over 100 different types. In recent decades, China has been affected by nearly all major disaster types, excluding volcanic eruptions. These include earthquakes, typhoons, floods, droughts, sandstorms, storm surges, landslides, hailstorms, cold and heat waves, pest infestations, rodent diseases, forest and grassland fires, and red tides.
These threats are spread across China’s diverse geographical regions. All provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities face varying degrees of negative consequences from natural disasters. Flooding poses a threat to two-thirds of the nation’s territory. Coastal areas in the east and south, as well as certain inland provinces, frequently experience tropical cyclones. Northeastern, northwestern, and northern China often suffer from droughts, with more severe instances common in the southwest and southern regions. Destructive earthquakes measuring 5.0 or higher on the Richter scale have impacted each province, autonomous region, and municipality.
China’s landscape, comprising 69 percent of mountains and plateaus, is particularly susceptible to geological disasters like landslides, debris flows, and rock collapses due to complex geological structures. Coastal regions are prone to storm surges and red tides, while forests and grasslands are at risk of fires. More than half of the country’s population and over 70 percent of its cities are in areas vulnerable to meteorological, earthquake, geological, and oceanic disasters.
From 1989 to 2018, natural hazards resulted in the loss of 195,820 lives and caused direct physical damages valued at 11,237 billion Chinese yuan (CNY, in 2018 values), roughly equivalent to US$1,698 billion (in 2018 values). Direct damage escalated from US$47 billion in the 1990s to US$65 billion in the 2010s. Since 2000, approximately 38.86 million hectares of crops have suffered yield losses of at least 10 percent each year due to natural disasters. Among these, 4.95 million hectares were severely devastated, experiencing yield losses exceeding 80 percent. Over the past thirty years, the average annual fatalities per million people amounted to five individuals, and direct economic loss as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) stood at 2.25 percent (GFDRR, 2020).
China has faced substantial damage from several major large-scale disasters. The 1998 China floods affected 223 million people, resulting in 4,150 deaths and extensive harm to 21.2 million hectares of crops and 6.85 million houses. The disaster caused direct economic losses of 255.9 billion yuan (Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters). The 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.0 claimed the lives of 69,227 individuals (with an additional 17,923 missing) and led to direct economic losses of 854.14 billion yuan.
Globally and regionally, climate change has heightened and will further intensify the frequency and severity of disasters in China. The probability of super typhoons and intense rainfall is on the rise, increasing the likelihood of riverine and flash floods. Droughts and heatwaves are projected to become more frequent and severe due to climate change. Geological disasters triggered by climate extremes, such as landslides and debris flows, are also expected to occur more frequently. Coupled with population growth, economic advancement, rapid urbanization, and interregional trade integration, China faces even greater disaster risks in the future. This could also result in cascading global impacts of increasing magnitude.
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