China has established a national emergency geospatial data system to provide first-responders with detailed maps within two hours after a disaster, a senior official said.

At the Chengdu Forum on United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management in the capital of Sichuan province on Tuesday, government leaders and prominent geologists and land surveyors discussed how any effective disaster response starts with a map.

"In fighting with disasters such as earthquakes and mudslides, providing timely mapping support for affected regions is crucial," said Xu Deming, director of the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation.