In 2005, China faced serious natural disasters such as floods, typhoons, droughts, hailstorms, earthquakes, heavy snowfall, frosts and landslides. Direct economic losses from these stood at about 204.2 billion yuan, up 27.4 percent over the previous year. During the year, 38.82 million hectares of cropland were affected by disasters, up 4.6 percent over the previous year. Of it, 4.6 million hectares failed to support any crop, up 5.4 percent. Forest fires affected 73,000 hectares of forests, 48.4 percent over the previous year. Direct economic losses caused by marine disasters in 2005 were about 33.2 billion yuan, increasing 5.1 times over the previous year. Eighty-two red tides were discovered during the year, 14 times less than in the previous year; the total area affected by red tides was about 27,070 square km, up 1.7 percent over the previous year. The number of geologic disasters causing deaths or direct economic losses of more than 500,000 yuan for the year stood at 854, resulting in direct losses of 3.65 billion yuan. Thirteen earthquakes were measured at Richter 5 and above, affecting 2.08 million people and 15,040 square km, with direct economic losses of 2.6 billion yuan.

    Facing serious disasters, China further enhanced state emergency aid for natural disasters and the comprehensive coordination of fighting disasters and disaster relief. According to the National Preparatory Plan for Relief Work in Natural Disaster, in 2005, the Ministry of Civil Affairs launched 30 emergency disaster relief operations for 18 provinces in succession. It dispatched 62 disaster relief groups and allocated 66,980 tents ensuring that those affected were reached within 24 hours of being hit.

    In 2005, China undertook to rebuild 1.97 million houses in the wake of disasters, among which 1.682 million have been completed, accounting for 85.39 percent of the total. The total capital input for this effort was 4.754995 billion yuan. Of this, 416.1 million yuan came from central finance, accounting for 8.75 percent; 734.919 million yuan, or 15.45 percent, came from local input; 267.302 million yuan, or 5.6 percent, from social donations; and 3.336673 billion yuan, or 70.2 percent, from capital raised by disaster-affected families. In addition, the Ministry of Civil Affairs also allocated relief funds of 1.1 billion yuan for victims suffering from food shortage in spring, and 1.2 billion yuan for victims suffering in winter. A total of 15.56 million relief cards were distributed in 2005, helping 45.74 million affected people.

    In January 2005, the State Council decided to change the name of the China Commission for the International Disaster Reduction to the State Disaster Reduction Commission, and further perfect the system of disaster relief. A commission comprising 18 academicians and well-known experts was established, to set up the mechanism for expert consultancy in national disaster relief. A 24-hour mechanism of monitoring disaster damage was also established and the modalities of monthly meetings on disaster damage of the relevant departments under the Central Government, further improved.

    In 2005, China formally signed the pact on cooperation between member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in disaster relief assistance, actively participated in the world conference on disaster reduction, successfully launched the first ministerial-level Asian Disaster Reduction Conference, offered training courses to 31 officials engaged in relief work from 11 tsunami-affected countries and organized governmental and civil disaster relief assistance to those affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami and the earthquakes in Pakistan.