Members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering recently held two workshops to brainstorm on the current disaster relief efforts caused by heavy snow and freezing rain around the country, the Guangming Daily reported.

At the meetings, the scientists analyzed the disasters and gave suggestions on ways to deal with the difficulties.

They proposed improving the country's preparations for natural calamities by setting up a disaster-warning mechanism. The government should also make information about natural disasters more open and transparent, they suggested.

It was recommended that emergency plans be made for disasters of various kinds, while making greater effort to develop and apply simulation techniques in preventing and fighting natural disasters.

The government should also readjust the standards and policies regarding the building of highways and dwellings, so as to improve their structural resistance against natural disasters.

The design standards for houses should be amended to meet local conditions. In addition, the design and construction of houses should be carried out in a scientific and standard way, they said.

The academics also advised on how to improve the country's electrical networks and quick response to natural disasters.

Since January 12, heavy snow and freezing rain devastated at least 19 provinces, leaving 80 dead and damaging a large number of houses and public facilities. The bad weather caused widespread traffic jams on railway and along highway networks and blackouts in many cities.

The worst hit southern provinces, such as Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi and Guangdong, are normally warm and comfortable in winter. However, a large number of electrical towers were felled by the heavy snow and freezing rain, and a dozen electrical company workers died during the storms.

The public has demanded investigation into the cause of the electrical tower collapses and to revise the standard for building such structures in southern areas.

(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2008)