Shanxi system helps keep poverty in check

Shaanxi province implemented a comprehensive dynamic monitoring system last year that has largely helped prevent the recurrence of absolute poverty.

The province had eliminated the problem in its 56 poorest counties, home to 4.56 million people, by the end of 2020. Since then, it has made promoting the comprehensive vitalization of rural areas its top priority and focused on preventing any reoccurrence of absolute poverty due to disasters and the COVID-19 epidemic, said Sun Yazheng, head of the Shaanxi Provincial Rural Vitalization Bureau.

One of the most important measures was the launch of dynamic monitoring and early warning platforms across the province early last year.

In August, Mianxian county in Hanzhong city was hit by a heavy rainstorm, causing a landslide in the town of Changgouhe that damaged roads and houses.

Residents were relocated to safe places and provided with rice, flour, oil, quilts and temporary relief funds.

The fast response was the result of the monitoring and warning platform. The monitoring center at Hanzhong's rural vitalization bureau said that during the summer flood season, the city mobilized more than 30,000 people to go to affected villages, carry out inspections and upload disaster information to the platform.

The platform then gathered the information－comprising more than 18 million pieces of data from 13 sectors, including education, medical care and civil affairs－and used big data analysis and other techniques to discover those in need of assistance.

Sun said marginalized households, those at risk of falling back into absolute poverty and households hit by sudden difficulties were the targeted groups. Once those in need were identified, corresponding policies were implemented.

According to the provincial government, Shaanxi was hit by several floods last year that affected 296,700 people in 42 formerly impoverished counties.

Sun said the government set up a special work team and conducted a comprehensive survey of the affected areas.

"A total of 11,128 people from 3,397 households were categorized into the targeted groups, and the risk of poverty reoccurrence has been effectively controlled," he said.

In addition to the monitoring platform, the province also launched multiple measures last year to consolidate the achievements of poverty eradication.

Sun said one of the key measures was to continue boosting the special agricultural industries that serve as the foundation for vitalizing rural areas.

In 2018, the provincial Party committee and government launched a special agricultural project called"3+X".

The "3" refers to the project's primary efforts－apple growing, raising dairy goats and greenhouse cultivation－while the "X" stands for the growing of other local specialties including traditional Chinese herbs, walnuts and red dates.

According to government data, the area of apple orchards reached 630,000 hectares last year, with an output of more than 11.3 million metric tons. The annual value of the province's goat milk industrial chain is expected to exceed 100 billion yuan ($15.7 billion) by 2025.

Financial institutions in the province disbursed 2.38 billion yuan in microcredit loans last year to help 51,700 families develop agricultural industries, and the province also set up 183,600 public service positions to maintain employment.