China News Service, Beijing, August 8 (Reporter Sun Zifa) August 8, 2020 is the third anniversary of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Jiuzhaigou. The latest news from the Public Service Department of the China Earthquake Administration and the Sichuan Earthquake Administration says that after nearly three years of post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, Jiuzhaigou, a world natural heritage site, has not only fully restored its former beauty and regained its charming brilliance, but has also established an earthquake-prevention and disaster-reduction “body armor” "To achieve a safe return.
Jiuzhaigou is the first nature reserve in China whose main purpose is to protect natural scenery and is included in the "World Natural Heritage List" and "Man and Biosphere" protection network. At 21:19 on August 8, 2017, Beijing time, a sudden and strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 tore the beautiful Jiuzhaigou into a series of shocking "wounds". From the day after the earthquake, Jiuzhaigou stopped receiving tourists.
The newly-built Aba earthquake warning station. (Photo courtesy of the Public Service Department of China Earthquake Administration and Sichuan Earthquake Administration)
According to the Sichuan Earthquake Administration, in the three years after the earthquake, Jiuzhaigou’s “body armor” was established through restoration and reconstruction, which is mainly reflected in earthquake early warning, fault survey, earthquake fortification, hidden danger remediation, and risk investigation.
——Earthquake early warning to improve regional monitoring and early warning capabilities
"Accelerate the construction of earthquake intensity quick report and early warning system, and comprehensively improve the ability of earthquake prevention and disaster reduction", which is listed as an important part of the post-earthquake restoration and reconstruction of Jiuzhaigou earthquake disaster prevention and control work. Sichuan’s estimated investment of 66.05 million yuan will start the implementation of the "Sichuan Province Earthquake Intensity Quick Report and Early Warning Project" and integrate it with the national earthquake intensity quick report and early warning project to achieve "integrated design, diversified output, multi-network integration, One network, multi-purpose, multi-level service".
Jiuzhaigou Zhangzha Town Primary School restored and reconstructed after the disaster. (Photo courtesy of the Public Service Department of China Earthquake Administration and Sichuan Earthquake Administration)
This project will enhance regional monitoring and early warning capabilities, comprehensively enhance the local earthquake emergency information service capabilities, and realize second-level earthquake early warning and minute-level earthquake intensity rapid reporting. Currently, the project is nearing completion, and the later work is progressing as planned.
——Fault survey to find out the risk of earthquake disaster
Understanding the distribution, activity characteristics, and hazards of seismically active faults and taking corresponding countermeasures are the prerequisite and basis for mitigating earthquake disasters. On the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the Jiuzhaigou earthquake, the Sichuan Earthquake Administration launched the "Sichuan Province Active Fault Survey" project.
Aba active fault drilling. (Photo courtesy of the Public Service Department of China Earthquake Administration and Sichuan Earthquake Administration)
As the first area for project implementation, the subprojects of the Aba area active fault survey where Jiuzhaigou is located took the lead in launching. Up to now, the 1:50,000 geological mapping project of the Aba fault, the 1:10,000 urban active fault exploration project in Songpan County, the 1:250,000 active fault survey project in Aba Prefecture, and the 1:10,000 urban active fault exploration project in Aba County are progressing smoothly .
——Seismic fortification to ensure the seismic fortification capability of buildings
As one of the hardest-hit areas of the Wenchuan 5.12 earthquake in 2008, Jiuzhaigou insisted on taking seismic fortification as an important basic task in the recovery and reconstruction after the Wenchuan earthquake. Thanks to the solid progress of this work, after the Jiuzhaigou earthquake, the magnitude was large but the casualties were light. Strengthening the seismic fortification capacity has also become an important experience in the recovery and reconstruction of the Jiuzhaigou earthquake.
Landslide treatment project in Zhangzha Town, Jiuzhaigou. (Photo courtesy of the Public Service Department of China Earthquake Administration and Sichuan Earthquake Administration)
In order to ensure that buildings meet the required seismic fortification requirements, Aba Prefecture formulated the "Seismic Fortification Recording System for Construction Projects", incorporating the implementation of the seismic fortification record system into the scope of annual target assessment, and establishing a long-term mechanism for building seismic fortification management.
In the post-earthquake restoration and reconstruction work of Jiuzhaigou, Aba incorporated seismic fortification work into the online approval platform for construction projects to promote the implementation of supervision work. In addition, Aba earthquake prevention and disaster mitigation, housing construction and other departments have also strengthened anti-seismic fortification propaganda to people in rural areas, organized construction craftsmen training, provided residential design atlas, guided the implementation of earthquake-resistant fortification measures, and promoted the earthquake-resistant fortification of rural houses.
——Rectify hidden dangers and reduce the risk of earthquake disasters
The potential threats left by the Jiuzhaigou magnitude 7.0 earthquake include 825 landslides, collapses and other hidden danger points of geological disasters. The local government has organized the implementation of 14 geological disaster prevention and control projects, and completed 63 disaster elimination projects and 9 scenic geological disaster projects. Governance, 76 major geological disaster project management, the establishment of Jiuzhaigou County emergency rescue command center, 120 emergency shelters, geological environment management and mountain flood disaster prevention monitoring and early warning information platform, the county, especially the scenic area, has obvious comprehensive disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities Enhanced.
The Nuorilang Waterfall in Jiuzhaigou reproduces the spectacular scenery of the past. (Photo courtesy of the Public Service Department of China Earthquake Administration and Sichuan Earthquake Administration)
The ecological environment of Jiuzhaigou was also severely damaged by the earthquake. In accordance with the method of “mainly natural restoration and supplemented by artificial restoration”, Jiuzhaigou County gave priority to launching 13 ecological environment restoration and protection projects. At present, when the vegetation damaged by the earthquake is speeding up to recover, soil erosion is effectively controlled, and the effect of ecological restoration and protection is gradually showing.
——Risk investigation and normalization of earthquake disaster response
Nowadays, earthquake disaster risk investigation has become Aba's annual routine work. Aba incorporates earthquake disasters into the major risk prevention and resolution scope of the state. At the beginning of each year, it sends a working group to carry out earthquake risk investigations in key dangerous areas to improve earthquake risk response and disposal capabilities to prevent problems before they occur.
Jiuzhaigou County was restored and reconstructed after the disaster. (Photo courtesy of the Public Service Department of China Earthquake Administration and Sichuan Earthquake Administration)
After the Jiuzhaigou earthquake emergency ended, the "Aba Prefecture Earthquake Emergency Plan" was revised and improved on the basis of summing up experience, established a "horizontal to side, vertical to end" earthquake emergency plan system, and promoted the normalization of earthquake emergency drills throughout the prefecture. At the same time, in recent years, Aba has used important time periods such as disaster prevention and mitigation days and Jiuzhaigou Earthquake Memorial Day to go deep into villages, communities, and temples to vigorously carry out popularization of earthquake prevention and mitigation. People’s awareness of earthquake prevention and mitigation has generally increased, and “coexistence with earthquake risks” has gradually become Popular consensus. (Finish)