The Guangdong provincial government is working on a system to provide relief aid within 24 hours to people hit by natural disasters.

A relief storage system will be in place within three years.

An official of the Guangdong emergency management office surnamed Guo told China Daily on Monday that people living in remote or rural areas currently do not receive aid within the critical first few days of a disaster.

"A comprehensive reserve aid system is necessary to make sure affected people can get help in a matter of hours," Guo said.

"The system will cover all cities and counties in the province."

Since disasters are diversified and complicated, the emergency management office has delegated specified tasks to relevant departments, Guo said.

The departments will purchase and keep in storage relief materials such as tents and food. The funds will be provided by the provincial government, he said.

The government will assign two deputy governors to oversee the project.

"Many natural disasters have occurred in the country this year, including Guangdong which has been hit by blizzards and floods," Tan Jiebin, a public management professor of Guangzhou University, told China Daily.

"The disasters have shown our relief management system lacks efficiency," he said.

The snowstorms that occurred in south China in January and February affected millions of people.

Road transport in Guangdong from north to south was blocked and relief aid to people was delayed.

(China Daily September 9, 2008)