On August 22, at the press conference of the National Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management, Zheng Guoguang, a member of the National Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, head of the Office of the National Disaster Reduction Commission, and deputy minister of the Department of Emergency Management, introduced that currently rural poverty-stricken areas are disaster-prone areas and are also weak links in disaster prevention, reduction, and relief. The Ministry of Emergency Management will focus on disaster prevention, reduction, and relief work at the grassroots level, especially in rural poor areas.

Zheng Guoguang said that it is necessary to investigate potential disaster risks and strengthen disaster monitoring, forecasting and early warning, especially to guide and coordinate relevant departments to strengthen the capacity building of disaster monitoring, forecasting and early warning in rural and poor areas, increase the density of monitoring station networks, strengthen disaster information reporting, and improve the timeliness and accuracy of disaster warning information release. It is necessary to gradually solve the "last mile" problem of disaster early warning through various means, including mobile phones, cable broadcasts, loudspeakers, and even some "local methods" such as gongs and whistles, and village cadres' door-to-door notifications.

Zheng Guoguang emphasized the need to improve defense capabilities, such as strengthening disaster resistance and reinforcement of houses, and relocating residential areas at risk points to avoid disasters. It is necessary to strengthen publicity and education on disaster prevention and reduction, organize and carry out emergency drills, and improve rural people's awareness of disaster prevention, reduction and relief, and their ability to prevent and rescue themselves and each other. We will adopt a "multi-pronged approach" from engineering and non-engineering aspects to strive to improve disaster prevention, reduction, and relief capabilities at the grassroots level, especially in rural poor areas.