Problems and reflections on professional monitoring and early warning of geological hazards: A case study of Shiyan City

Research purposes Professional monitoring and early warning is a key component of the integrated geological hazard monitoring and early warning system that combines both community-based and professional efforts. Studying the effectiveness and existing issues of such systems is crucial for advancing disaster prevention and mitigation, especially in the current context of widespread generalized monitoring. Research Methods This paper reviews the implementation experiences and outcomes of professional geological hazard monitoring and early warning in Shiyan City. It analyzes the main problems in system operation, maintenance, and construction management, and proposes targeted countermeasures for improvement. Research results Since launching its professional monitoring and early warning efforts in 2017, Shiyan City has successively established 2,732 professional monitoring points. By the end of 2024, these systems had successfully issued 36 early warnings, supported 19 emergency evacuations involving a total of 190 people, and helped avert property losses amounting to 226.2183 million yuan. Key challenges in system operation and maintenance includes a low equipment online rate, relatively few effective early warnings, a high false alarm rate, limited capacity of early warning models and criterion, and improper siting or inadequate protection of some monitoring facilities. In terms of construction and management, issues include difficulties in maintaining aging equipment, lack of a unified data processing platform, insufficient comprehensive monitoring and early warning techniques, and underfunded single-point construction projects. Conclusion Operational challenges can be mitigated through timely equipment maintenance, careful selection of monitoring units and equipment manufacturers, development of regional-specific early warning models and criteria, regular upkeep of facilities, and enhanced public awareness and education. Construction and management shortcomings can be improved by planning reconstruction projects in advance, building a centralized data processing platform, adopting new technologies, and appropriately increasing financial investment.