As the world observes the 36th International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction under the theme "Fund Resilience, Not Disasters," China emphasizes the importance of science and technology in strengthening its disaster prevention and response capabilities.

Natural disasters continue to be some of the world's biggest challenges, posing threats to human safety and sustainable growth.

In response, China has been accelerating the modernization of its emergency governance. According to the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) for its emergency management system, the country aims to develop a modern, intelligent, and coordinated framework by 2035, one that combines digitalization, science-based decision-making, and public participation.

At a press conference in late September, the Ministry of Emergency Management announced significant achievements in reform and technological innovation. These include the creation of "Diting," the world's first seismic wave model with over 100 million parameters, which greatly enhances earthquake simulation and early warning capabilities.

China has also built the world's largest and most comprehensive coordinated meteorological observation system, covering land, sea, air, and space, according to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) at a press conference on Saturday in Beijing. The system includes nine Fengyun meteorological satellites, 842 weather radars, and more than 90,000 ground-based observation stations.

CMA officials said China's independently developed BeiDou navigation system has ended the GPS monopoly in meteorological air sounding. Over the past five years, the country's radar monitoring network has become internationally advanced. It now covers more than 90 percent of densely populated areas. It detects over 80 percent of disastrous weather events, with enhanced detection of small- and medium-scale severe phenomena like heavy rain, hail, tornadoes, and thunderstorms.

Bi Baogui, deputy head of the CMA, stated that meteorological satellites and radars are the core components of this extensive system, enhanced by ground stations, high-altitude sensors, remote-sensing vertical observation tools, and greenhouse gas monitoring networks. For the first time, 35 small commercial meteorological satellites are also part of the operations, supplementing the Fengyun satellites for data gathering.

China is sharing these scientific advances with the world. Data from the Fengyun series are made available to dozens of countries, providing crucial support for disaster monitoring and early warning across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The CMA has also launched several international cooperation programs to help partner countries build climate resilience through technology.

From advanced seismic modeling to space-based observation, China's expanding technological capabilities are not only safeguarding lives domestically but also supporting worldwide efforts to create a safer, more resilient planet.