1 Natural disastersIn 2000, the country suffered a lot from natural disasters, including droughts, floods, hails,typhoons, earthquakes, dust devils, snow, microtherms and cool injuries and so on. According to the 2000 statistics checked and ratified jointly by the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MOCA), State Statistical Administration (SSA), China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and the National Office of Headquarters for Flood Control and Drought Resistance, the country suffered a disasterhit crop area of 54 690 000 hectares, 34 370 000 hectares of which seriously affected and 10 150 000 hectares being a total crop failure, up 9%, 28. 5% and 49. 2% respectively from 1999; a total of 456 000 000 people were affected, up 29.1% from the previous year; 279 000 000 people were seriously affected, up 23. 4% from the year before; 3 014 persons died from the disasters, increasing by 18 persons; 4 671 000 victims were urgently transferred for resettlement,down 29. 7% from the year before; and 1 473 000 houses collapsed, reduced by 15.5% compared with the last year. In partial areas, damages were done at varying degrees to industrial & mining enterprises and public facilities.