REGIONAL CHARACCTERS OF NATURAL DISATER IN THE LAST YEARSIN CHINA
中国近期自然灾害程度的区域特征

Natural disaster is a dynamic phenomenon varying from region to region and changingover time. The impacts of disasters to a region is usually described by the extent of disasteraffecting the region in general,and also by the grading of disaster for particular purposes.This paper deals with the regional characters of natural disaster of China by using informa-tion from l989 to 1993.It aims at analyzing interactions between disaster and regional devel-opment,identifying indicators used as tools for decision making in disaster reduction,and dis-cussing regional differences of disaster impacts in China. The paper fiistly reviews information available to describe disasters,and then dibcussesthe importance of differefit items of information in relation to various types of disasters. Based on the sigfiificance and the implication,an indicator system of disaster impacts is estab-lished.This system covers 8 basiic indicators as:disaster losses in absolute sense; disasterlosses in relativp sense;fluctuation in absolute sense;fluctuation in relative sense;disasterlosses per capita;disaster losses per unit area;affected population per unit area;and affectedland per unit area. In addition,the grading systems for each indicator are also developed. Adopting the indicator systein of ditqaster impacts,the paper concluded that the easternpart of China is the seriously affected area by natural disasters, which is the well developedarea in terms of economy,and the niost populated area of China. Within the easterii part ofChina,some regions:uch as the lower reach of the Yellow River,the Haihe River Basin,andthe lower reach of the Yangzi River siiffer tremcndously from natural disasters in the last fewyears. With,regards to the sustaining capacity to Withstand disasters,the paper emphasized thataregion could not be seH- reliant when disaster impact indictor a6ove 4.0in terms of absolutedisaste losses,or up to 30%in terins of relative disaster losses.