The unique combination of geographical and meteorological forces within China exposes her to natural disasters with almost cyclical regularity. Therefore, China’s disaster management understandably receives high-level attention. Apart from natural disasters, China is also susceptible to disasters attributable to human activity, such as disease outbreaks and industrial accidents. Being highly critical of disaster management in other countries and increasingly selective with foreign aid, China’s response to large-scale disasters and disease outbreaks ensures that the world, and Chinese netizens, are watching. Here, we examine how the Chinese government’s response to large-scale disasters and disease outbreaks has evolved, from SARS to H7N9, and from Wenchuan to Lushan.

China’s disaster and disease statistics

China’s combination of geological and meterological conditions has exposed the country to almost every natural disaster imaginable, from earthquakes and floods to hailstones and landslides. Six out of ten of the world’s deadliest natural disasters have occurred in China, the top three being the 1931 floods, the 1887 Huanghe Flood and the 1556 Shaanxi Earthquake. Each year, natural disasters impact an average of 300 million in China, not to mention ensuing economic losses. Most recently, China is still feeling the aftermath of the Lushan earthquake.

In addition to natural disasters, China is not spared from periodic disease outbreaks. Current fragmentations in its agricultural departments hold the populous nation vulnerable to disease outbreaks, such as the on-going the H7N9 outbreak.

How emergencies are dealt with, officially

As with most issues facing China, official response to disaster and disease outbreaks is top-down, governed by a set of 30 laws and regulations, 25 special sub-plans and 80 departmental preparatory plans pertaining to prevention, relief and restoration. The Wenchuan earthquake gave rise to the Regulations on post-Wenchuan Earthquake Restoration and Reconstruction in 2008.

According to the Emergency Response Law drafted in 2009, emergency management is characterized by central leadership, departmental responsibility, and disaster administration at different levels. However, ultimate responsibility lies with local authorities. The People's Liberation Army, the armed police, militia reservists, and policemen are deployed in emergency situations, while NGOs, other social groups and volunteers commonly work alongside them. The Chinese government of today neither lacks the impetus nor finances to deal with emergencies.

While China’s disaster response efforts have improved to the point of drawing praise from international bodies like the UN and the Red Cross, disasters and disease outbreaks happen in real time and affect real people. The rest of this article will take a closer look at China’s response to disaster and disease outbreaks within the déjà vu brought on by recent the H7N9 infection and the Lushan earthquake.

From SARS to H7N9

H7N9 is a new strain of “bird flu” that in the worst case can result in septic shock and organ failure in humans. Originating in Shanghai, it has now spread outside of East China. Since human-to-human transmission of this disease has yet to be firmly established, it may not be fair to compare it to the deadly SARS outbreak ten years ago. However, it is undeniable that the government has drawn on that experience in efforts to contain the current infection.

This time around, the government has been applauded for greater responsiveness and transparency as compared with the relative secrecy shrouding the SARS outbreak, earning praise from the international community, including the WHO. Domestic media coverage has been comparatively swift and extensive and infected farms shut down promptly.

National and provincial governments still appear less than forthcoming, however. The Shanghai government in particular has been singled out for deliberately delaying reporting of the outbreak, harking back to recent memories of dead pigs floating in the Huangpu river. The first H7N9 infection in humans was ascertained on February 19 but the news was only made public almost a month and a half later.

From Wenchuan to Lushan

Just last month, a 7.0 magnitude rocked Lushan and Baoxing counties in southwestern Sichuan Province. Apart from being located along the same fault line in mountainous Sichuan, comparisons with the Wenchuan quake of 2008, still fresh in citizens’ minds, are inevitable. This quake triggered the highest level 1 response from rescue and support teams at the national and provincial level, involving thousands of workers. Helicopters reached the disaster site within hours while workers dynamited their way through roads blocked by landslides, making the quake zone accessible by road eight hours later, a marked improvement from more than 3 days taken during the 2008 Wenchuan quake. Admittedly, the Chinese government has displayed a greater degree of transparency this time with news breaking just 53 seconds later. Infrastructure was restored much more expediently with electricity and communications networks up and running the next day.

With the emphasis placed on search-and-rescue and clearing dead bodies, unfortunately, distributing aid was less of a priority with survivors waiting in the open. Ironically, Lushan and Baoxing counties, having escaped most of the damage in the 2008 quake, did not receive the necessary building reinforcements against quakes nor new evacuation procedures implemented in their communities. As in 2008, the poor have again borne the brunt of the quake, which again highlighted shoddy construction.

China’s disaster management – improving, but still not perfect

Government response to large-scale disasters are always a subject of interest and China is not exempt. In addition, China has to contend with an increasing unrelenting and unforgiving online community. While these have inadvertently compelled improvements in official response to disaster and disease outbreaks, the system has yet to be perfected. The system, while looking impressive on paper, has yet to produce a complete communication mechanism and currently lacks cohesiveness in real time. Emergencies are time-sensitive and good communication and coordination saves lives, reduces property damage and protects a country’s image. On the whole, China is doing well on the “hardware” aspects of disaster management, having made much improvement from previous disasters. However, as China matures as a nation, hopefully more resources will be devoted to the unseen social aspects of recovery, like rehabilitation and trauma counseling.
 

Related links
Credibility Collapse: The Crisis Facing Red Cross China
Hiding the Truth: Chinese Authorities Refuse to Publicize Soil Pollution Data
Refusal of Donations for Impoverished Guangxi School Sparks Online Suspicion

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Chinese government’s response China’s response China’s disaster management Wenchuan SARS Lushan H7N9