China's Evolved Approach to Crisis Management: Lessons from Historical Disasters and International Responses

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Crisis Preparedness and Response: The Chinese Approach

The recent Advanced Course on Crisis Management, Recovery, and Transition - a collaborative effort between the itarian Policy Group at ODI and Tsinghua University’s School for Public Policy and Management - highlighted the robust strategies being developed by Chinese institutions in crisis management and response.

China confronts significant vulnerabilities due to its geographical location. The nation experiences earthquakes, floods, droughts, wildfires, typhoons, blizzards, and pandemics like SARS with alarming regularity. In the first three quarters of 2013 alone, natural disasters inflicted damage amounting to $84.5 billion. An estimated 856,000 homes were destroyed by disasters during this period, averaging a cost equivalent to 1.6 of its GDP. This figure contrasts with the United States and the Philippines which recorded costs of 0.57 and 0.80, respectively, in 2012.

Following the devastating Wenchuan earthquake that clmed around 90,000 lives in 2008, and the SARS epidemic from 2003, China underwent a pivotal transformation in its approach to disaster management. Realising that their centralized disaster response mechanism lacked effectiveness, authorities established Emergency Management Offices at multiple levels of government under the central State Emergency Management Office and the National Disaster Reduction Committee.

China's crisis relief efforts have also expanded beyond national borders. The Chinese International Search and Rescue Team CISAR, drawing on a unique pool comprising military personnel, police officers, and civilians, responded to natural disasters like the 2003 Bam earthquake in Iran, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Aceh, Hti's devastating earthquake in 2010, among others. These efforts have resulted in thousands of patients being treated and scores of individuals being rescued from collapsed structures.

The Chinese government has embraced technological innovations to manage disasters effectively. The Natural Disaster Reduction Center NDRCC, equipped with advanced operational facilities, monitors natural disasters using a range of tools including imagery from three orbiting satellites and unmanned drones supplied by private firms. Staffed largely by young professionals in fields like programming, science, technical expertise, GIS specialists, the NDRCC is centralizing information management and crisis response capabilities within China. Its partnerships with the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response and involvement in the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction ensure that maps and satellite imagery produced are avlable globally.

Despite these advancements, China's disaster management infrastructure continues to face familiar challenges - coordination issues among a complex web of government entities at national, provincial, and local levels. Additionally, while community members often lead disaster response efforts both domestically and internationally, Chinese authorities strive to enhance this self-reliance by promoting preparation and response within communities themselves. However, the difficulty in securing resources and political attention for preparedness persists agnst the backdrop of ongoing emergencies, mirroring challenges faced globally.

The Advanced Course revealed several areas that require further development. These included gaps in China's public documentation efforts - particularly in languages beyond Mandarin - and a notable lack of engagement from Chinese experts with international itarian communities. The intricate web of Western-based d organizations and the complex jargon surrounding them were viewed by some as barriers to collaboration between Chinese officials, NGOs, and other professionals. This perception was exacerbated by certn actors who perceive Chinese d funding as an instrument for geopolitics rather than a source of principled cooperation.

The Advanced Course provides a valuable platform for Chinese experts to interact closely with their international counterparts in itarian response efforts. The itarian Policy Group looks forward to fostering this dialogue further through future Advanced Courses and ongoing research on the history of itarianism within China, ming to bridge gaps between Chinese practice and global standards.

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