China Disaster Preparedness Project 2008/09

Did you know….. China is one of the most disaster prone countries on earth? Every year millions of people in China lose their homes, food sources and livelihoods because of natural disasters like typhoons, hailstorms and floods. Natural disasters are a major cause of poverty in the rural areas of China.

Red Cross is working with local people in the Chinese region of Guangxi to lessen the impact of natural disasters by developing disaster preparedness plans.

Where is Guangxi? Guangxi is in southern China, sharing a border with Vietnam. It is an area with extreme weather -- annual floods have been increasing in severity over the years along with typhoons and major hailstorms. Forty nine million people live in Guangxi and 80% of them are poor farmers, many who live on less than $1 a day.

Despite China’s rapid economic growth over the last 20 years, and events like the Olympics, nearly 20% of the world’s poor live in China. Rural areas like Guangxi face many hardships, especially when natural disasters strike.