On August 12, at the second plenary (expanded) meeting of the working mechanism for promoting high-quality meteorological development and comprehensively deepening meteorological reform held by the China Meteorological Administration in 2026, Cili County, as one of only two units to speak, introduced the "Cili experience" of high-quality meteorological development to colleagues across the country.

In June 2024, Cili County was designated as the third county nationwide and the first in Hunan Province to pilot high-quality development of "smart disaster reduction" meteorology. Over the past two years, Cili County has used a "four-in-one" disaster prevention and mitigation system to safeguard the bottom line of safe development, creating the national-level title of "China's Climate-Friendly City," and delivering a satisfactory result to the people.

At the second plenary (expanded) meeting of the working mechanism for promoting high-quality meteorological development and comprehensively deepening meteorological reform held by the China Meteorological Administration in 2026, Jiang Hua, deputy secretary of the Cili County Party Committee and acting county head, delivered a keynote speech.

Breaking the deadlock with "four ones": Writing a contemporary chapter on disaster prevention and mitigation in mountainous areas.

Disaster prevention in mountainous areas is an old topic and a long-standing problem.

How to solve this problem? Cixi provides a solid answer using the "Four Ones" core system: one command and dispatch center, one situational awareness network, one intelligent disaster reduction platform, and one early warning and linkage mechanism.

The "Four Ones" approach precisely addresses the most critical issues in disaster prevention in mountainous areas: For scattered information, a central command center is established for unified command and overall control; for delayed perception, a comprehensive network is created for full coverage and integrated coordination; for poor communication, a platform is utilized for intelligent support and direct reach to the grassroots; and for slow response, a mechanism is improved for closed-loop management and efficient implementation. Behind each "one" lies a solemn commitment to the safety of people in mountainous areas.

From the outset of the pilot program, Cili County promoted it at a high level with coordinated efforts across the entire county: the county party secretary and county head jointly led the effort, 16 departments took on 16 pilot tasks, and 9 policy documents were issued in quick succession. Previously, each department operated independently; now, they are united as one. Behind the "four ones"—from blueprint to implementation—lies the collective effort of the entire county.

A delegation led by Feng Zilong, member of the Party Committee and head of the Discipline Inspection Team of the Hunan Provincial Department of Emergency Management, visited the Meteorological Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Center of Cili County Meteorological Bureau for research.

"A Comprehensive View from One Screen": From "Experience-Based Judgment" to "Data-Driven Decision-Making"

Upon entering the disaster prevention and mitigation command center of Cili County Meteorological Bureau, a huge electronic screen immediately catches the eye.

On the screen, rainfall data is constantly updated, radar echoes fluctuate in real time, and the distribution of 322 potential geological disaster sites and 8,733 households with houses built on slopes throughout the county is displayed on one screen. This is the "smart brain" for disaster prevention and mitigation in Cili County.

"The terrain in mountainous areas is complex, and the rainfall situation in different areas can vary greatly after a rainstorm." The staff admitted that manual patrols are simply not enough to keep up with the workload.

After the pilot program was launched, the situation changed. Nine departments, including meteorology, water resources, and natural resources, joined forces to integrate 180 monitoring facilities, build or renovate 76 automatic weather stations, and share data from 248 self-built rainfall stations. More than 1.1 million emergency data points from 21 types of disaster-bearing entities, such as geological disaster hazard points, households building houses on slopes, schools, and ferry crossings, flowed like streams into a single lake, achieving full coverage of disaster hazard point monitoring.

From then on, determining the intensity of rainfall and the most dangerous locations was no longer based on guesswork or experience. Every number flashing on the screen had a source, and every warning issued had a basis. Data anticipates risks, and decisions anticipate disasters—this is the most robust definition of "smart disaster reduction."

Cili County "Smart Disaster Reduction" Platform

"Xiangcun Cloud Sentinel": Enabling information to reach villages and households, bridging the "last mile" in early warning transmission.

Late at night on May 22, 2025, a sudden and torrential downpour struck southwestern Cili County. In Honglian Village, Jinyan Tujia Township, the Party Branch Secretary Xu Jiaolian's phone vibrated incessantly, with warning messages popping up one after another.

Together with township officials, she organized the evacuation of 18 people from 10 households in the danger zone overnight. The next day, a sudden landslide occurred, destroying the houses instantly, but there were no casualties.

This successful avoidance of danger, with a 12-hour advance warning, was not due to luck, but to the rapid dissemination of early warning information and the accurate alerts provided by "Xiangcun Cloud Sentinel."

The early warning system utilizes electronic fence technology, enabling precise push notifications at a rate of 4,000 messages per second, reaching the responsible party within one minute and covering the entire public in the risk area within five minutes. The long-standing problem of slow and ineffective early warning dissemination has been completely resolved.

The "Xiangcun Cloud Sentinel" terminal installed in the village office can accurately push risk information to the village; while the sound and light alarms installed in the homes of people in high-risk areas can automatically trigger the alarm sound in the event of a disaster.

Later, the evacuation of Honglian Village was selected as one of the "Top Ten Typical Evacuation Cases" in Hunan Province. On March 30 this year, the case of safely evacuating 6 households and 19 people in Qingshui Village, Shanmuqiao Town, was commended by the Ministry of Emergency Management.

In Changtanhe Village, Jinci Street, the "door-to-door sound and light alarm" automatically triggers a sound and light alarm in the event of a disaster.

"Cili Model": From a pilot project in one county to promotion in 35 districts and counties

On March 20th of this year, a provincial on-site meeting on meteorological disaster prevention and mitigation and high-quality meteorological development pilot projects was held in Cili County. Representatives visited Changtanhe Village in Jinci Subdistrict to observe firsthand a mudslide disaster evacuation site where there were "zero casualties."

Rewind to March 30, 2024. Torrential rain poured down. 130 villagers from Changtanhe Village were evacuated overnight. About half an hour after the evacuation was completed, a mudslide carrying debris swept down, severely damaging many houses, and the affected area was deserted.

Since the pilot program began, Cili County has successfully responded to 32 rounds of heavy rainfall, issued a total of 6.26 million warnings, relocated and resettled more than 17,000 people, and directly reduced disaster losses by approximately 140 million yuan.

The value of the pilot program lies in its replication and promotion. Currently, the "Cili Model" of smart disaster reduction has been selected as a typical case of "Early Warning Practice in China," recognized as an outstanding case of deepening reform and innovation by the China Meteorological Administration, and featured in special reports by the China Meteorological Administration's "Important Information Summary" and the Provincial Party Committee Office's "Important Information Report." More importantly, it has expanded from a "one-county experiment" in Cili to nine cities and prefectures in Hunan and Hubei provinces, and has been implemented and promoted in 35 districts and counties.

Today, the "Four Ones" disaster prevention and mitigation system has taken deep root in the Lishui River Basin. From "passive disaster relief" to "proactive disaster reduction," from "experience-based judgment" to "data-driven decision-making," Cili's pilot exploration has not only protected its own homeland but also provided a replicable and scalable "Cili solution" for disaster prevention and mitigation in mountainous areas across the country.

(Source: China.com, Author: Song Shixiu)