China’s emergency shelters rife with problems

(Ecns.cn) -- During natural or manmade disasters, many people have been unable to find an emergency shelter in their neighborhoods, an issue that has raised much concern about China's urban planning, the Oriental Outlook reports.

Some shelters are guarded by iron fences topped with sharp spikes that prevent people from entering, while residents in some areas are completely unaware that nearby parks were designed for emergency situations.

Last week, reporters from the Oriental Outlook visited the Yuan Capital Wall Park, Beijing's first emergency shelter built in 2003, where there are clear signs informing the public of its purpose.

Covering an area of 600,980 square meters, the park can accommodate 253,300 people, making it capable of providing shelter for the four neighboring residential sub-districts. Underground water supplies and an electrical grid can satisfy every basic need at a critical moment.

According to the park's staff, there are many special features that can provide assistance when emergencies arise, including a well for water and a toilet system than can function independently if infrastructure is damaged.

A pedestrian told reporters that she had been aware of the emergency shelter since the park was built, and has planned a shortcut to it in preparation for disasters.

However, not all emergency shelters are known to the public, even when they are within reach, says the Oriental Outlook.

In Chaoyang Park, several visitors were interviewed but none of them knew it also serves as a shelter.

Reporters later found a small sign close to the lawn that only reads "emergency." No other information is provided.

At Changpu River Park near Wangfujing, there are no signs showing that it's an emergency shelter at all. Even a security guard was surprised by the information, according to the Oriental Outlook.

Some emergency shelters have been taken over for other purposes, such as housing or businesses, and are no longer useful in a crisis.

Around the time of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, there were dozens of shelters all across the city that could provide tenting areas, fresh water and medical attention. Since then, many of them have fallen prey to commercial development.

In Haidian District, one shelter that also functioned as a disaster relief park has been turned into a golf range.

Another makeover is happening at Taiyanggong Park in Chaoyang District. Designed to shelter upwards of 180,000 people, it is now being turned into a water park.

Meanwhile, Chengdu, the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, is building 35 emergency shelter areas that will be able to hold 1.1 million people. The city's plan was improved to meet new national standards for shelters issued after the devastating earthquake in May 2008.

Yet China's capital continues to suffer from a shortage of public shelters. Beijing only has 33, which provide about one square meter per person, half the standard demanded by city regulations.

Zhong Kaibin, associate professor at the Emergency Management and Training Center of the National School of Administration, said emergency shelters are designed for the public in case of earthquakes, epidemic diseases, flooding, fire and other situations, so they must be updated regularly.

As the population of major cities rapidly grows, the construction plans of emergency shelters should never be shelved, and city governments must strengthen efforts to maintain well-designed facilities in these areas, said Zhong.

In Beijing, most emergency shelters are located in the central districts, so the government's next move should be focused on the outskirt areas, added Zhong.