Effective early warnings secure the first line of defense

An aerial drone photo taken on June 18, 2024 shows surging water flow in the section of Rongjiang River in Rong'an county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. It is therefore imperative that China prioritizes the enhancement of its early meteorological warning capabilities, given that it represents the first line of defense against extreme weather events. Moreover, China has established a mechanism to ensure the suspension of classes, work and transport services in high-risk areas and high-sensitive industries as soon as early warnings are issued about extreme weather events. Its approach to disaster management entails enhancing disaster knowledge and management, and monitoring and forecasting both normal and extreme weather events, issuing warnings, and responding to natural disasters in a timely manner. Nevertheless, it is important that the government take actions to promote innovation in the science and technology sector, enhance research on extreme weather events and their impacts on vulnerable regions and industries, develop advanced early warning technologies, and establish national standards for addressing climate change.