China is one of the countries most affected by natural disasters. It had six of the world's top 10 deadliest natural disasters.

In the course of recorded history, many types of natural disasters, except volcano eruptions, have occurred in China, which include floods, droughts, meteorological, seismic, geological, maritime and ecological disasters as well as forestry and grassland fires. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake that took lives of close to 70,000 was the greatest since 1976 Tangshan Earthquake.

These natural disasters pose serious threats to life and property safety to China and its people and severely affect the comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development of that country's economy and society. Over the past 50 years, natural disasters on average had reduced China's harvests by approximately 1% annually. Natural disasters threaten China's national security and social stability and stand in the way of economic development in some regions and poverty alleviation of certain rural population.