EDITORIAL : THE GLOBAL TIMES, CHINA

Not all natural disasters are preventable

Natural disasters periodically make headlines in China. This time, the severe drought along the Yangtze River has dominated the news. On top of this, as summer approaches, floods are to be expected.
A natural disaster provides a chance to reflect on human mistakes. The Internet and media alike are abuzz with criticism of the government's disaster-prevention strategies, from the efficiency of water conservative projects to a policy that prioritizes economic growth above all.
Sadly, natural disasters are a part of China. Located in the west Pacific monsoon weather belt, unpredictable amounts of precipitation can lead to life-threatening droughts or floods. In fact, Chinese history is dotted with natural disasters, which were often followed by famine and social upheaval. Adversaries make a country stronger, reads a proverb. Do we have any other options?
The disaster-relief efforts of today can ensure the minimum amount of disruption for personal lives and businesses.
To best protect people from natural disasters, we need man-made facilities, but there is a lack of consensus on how extensive these should be. Take reservoirs. On one side, an opinion advocates that Chinese cities should build more reservoirs to better divert water during bad weather, but an opposing view strongly suggests that reservoirs are blocking the natural flows of rivers, causing more detrimental effects.
Inadequate water conservancy is being blamed for poor disaster responses, however, the Three Gorges Dam, the largest water conservancy project in China, is also denounced nationwide.
As the economy advances, it is more difficult to keep nature intact. Per capita consumption of energy is soaring. In Beijing for example, the water used to wash cars each year exceeds the volume of Kunming Lake in Summer Palace.
We fret over the deteriorating environment, and wish to find a single reason for it.
But perhaps we should accept a simple fact that in a country crowded with 1.3 billion population, it is bound to be a challenge living with the nature in harmony.
Harmony requires patience, and we must accept that not all natural disasters can be prevented. We will still build better disaster-prevention and response systems. When they strike, we can face them head-on.