Various Marine Disasters Nature Disaster Knowledge Series

Author: Wang Zhaochun
Publisher:
Publishing Time: 2001-09-01
Features: Since the birth of humanity, natural disasters have been a constant companion, bringing countless hardships and difficulties to our primitive ancestors with limited knowledge and skills, often leading to catastrophic disasters. As material and spiritual civilization has flourished in human society, natural disasters have not subsided; they remain an extremely threatening Sword of Damocles hanging over all humanity. According to statistics from international organizations under the United Nations in late 1999, the occurrence of major disasters globally over the past 50 years has shown a clear upward trend, increasing from 20 incidents in the 1950s to over 80 in the 1990s, with economic losses rising dramatically by 14 times. China is one of the few countries in the world with severe natural disasters. Not only does it experience a wide variety of disaster types, but it also suffers from high frequency and intensity, causing extremely severe social and economic losses. Statistics show that since the 1990s, direct economic losses caused by natural disasters have accounted for approximately 1/6 to 1/4 of the national budget, with an average of 10,000 to 20,000 deaths annually due to disasters. Sudden natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and storms often occur in clusters, severely threatening the environment and resources on which humanity depends for survival, endangering human existence and development, and concern and attention.
To address this, the 42nd Session of the UN General Assembly in 1987 designated the last decade of the 20th century as the "International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction" to coordinate global efforts in combating disasters. At the 54th Session of the UN General Assembly in 1999, it was decided to launch a larger-scale and longer-term "International Strategy for Disaster Reduction" based on the "International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction," which would serve as the foundation for future joint actions by the international community. The goal is to enhance society's ability to resist disasters and coordinate sustained efforts by to mitigate them. This marks a new era for global disaster reduction efforts.
The features of this series of books are their direct confrontation with disaster situations, unflinchingly presenting the harsh realities and stakes to readers. They advise people to learn from disaster lessons and take preventive measures in advance. At the same time, they inform readers on how to protect themselves during major earthquakes, how to (self-rescue) when disasters strike, and how to salvage losses after floods, droughts, cold waves, and heatwaves, minimizing disaster losses to the greatest extent possible. They strive to explain scientific concepts through simple narratives, use philosophical reflection to inspire people to reflect, enhance their awareness of crises, and fully recognize that disaster prevention and reduction is everyone's responsibility.