China published a white paper Monday on disaster-prevention efforts to mark the first anniversary of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake, as well as the nation's first "Disaster Prevention and Reduction Day," both of which fall on Tuesday.

The paper was released by the State Council (cabinet) Information Office.

The magnitude-8.0 quake, with the epicenter in Wenchuan of southwest China's Sichuan Province, left more than 87,000 people dead or missing and more than 374,640 injured.

The document, consisting of more than 16,000 Chinese characters, shed light on disaster-prevention work by the government and the public.

"China is one of the countries that experiences the most natural disasters," the report said.

Except for volcanic activity in modern times, China has suffered most types of natural disasters, it said.

With climate change, economic growth and urbanization, China faced increasing pressure on its resources and environment, it said.

The work of preventing and responding to natural disasters has become "more serious and complicated," the paper said.

Given that many kinds of wide-ranging disasters frequently hit China and caused huge losses, China's main tasks were to strengthen its ability to manage potential risks of natural disasters, to monitor and forecast natural disasters, to prevent them and conduct rescue and relief, the report said.

The country attaches great importance to institutionalizing disaster control work, such as issuing relevant laws and regulations, and it has developed a disaster control and response system in line with China's realities, the report said.

The system included leadership from the State Council and central government departments as well as disaster control departments at different levels, while local governments bore the main responsibilities, the document said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2009)