A Research On Disasters And Famines In Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region

AbstractThis paper is according to the stnicture of the History of Re1ie~mg Famine c~ Uibui, utilizing abundant and first-hand data, based on the deep introducing and analyzing the general situations, peculiarities, causes of foimatioti, thought, organizations and measures of relieving famines, using the theory and method of the sociology of disasters, evaluating objectively on the effect of relieving disasters and famines. Thereby, it was revealed that the subjective and c*dectivecauses of that C.C.P led the Border Region?people tiding over serious disasters and famines in 1937?947. Also, this paper provides some helptiil experiences and lessons to real social treating and curing famines, exploiting western China and the continuous development strategy.The man-made disasters of the Border Region were caused mostly by political factors, such as wars, bandits, and so on And these disasters took place mostly on the periphery The natural disasters were general and different because they might happen in everyplace and every year. It is frequent and simultaneous, so the seriousness of the damages was outstanding. Though famine occurs every year in the Border Region, compared with the Shaanxi province belonging to G.M D, the losses were much less serious. The disasters and famines were closely related with the geographical environment, the damages of woods, the conditions of the medicine and sanitary, as well as the large environment of warShaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region weakened greatly the man-made cause of disasters, improved obviously the natural and social living conditions of the people, and decreased enomtously the losses of the manpower. Thus, the phenomena of turning disasters into famines decreased rapidly. But, it resulted swiftly in the deterioration that the woods resource were damaged badly by the activities of reclaiming wilderness, picking grass roots and felling trees.In author's opinions, disasters and famines are resulted from three unbalances between human being and nature, among the factors of the society and among the factors of the nature.Rebuilding these balances is the essence of the work to treating and curing disasters and famines From now on, human being can't be only contended with the improvement of the material life and the perfection of the social system. So, human being must pay attention to protecting the ecological environment Otherwise, human being would exterminate itself on the end.