Comparing International Emergency Management Operations

Chinese Emergency Management

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China is similar to the United States in that it is a geographically large nation. In terms of emergency management, China does not have one powerful, centralized agency like the Department of Homeland Security or FEMA to coordinate emergency management efforts. However, in terms of planning, this large, increasingly industrialized, and densely populated nation is moving in a similar direction to that of the rest of the world in terms of emergency management and planning.

For example, in December of 2005, China established its Emergency Management Office (EMO) and began development of a new emergency management system for the entire nation. China's Master State Plan for Rapid Response to Public Emergencies was published in January 2006. Through the master plan, which has the force of law, emergency management in China has now obtained legal support from all levels of government. Between early 2006 and 2009, 51 national-level emergency plans have been developed for the country. In addition, numerous government-owned corporations have established their individual plans, similar to business continuity plans employed in the West.

Although academic documentation is limited, the study of the Chinese response to incidents of flooding has proven extremely beneficial to emergency managers worldwide, especially because flooding is the most frequently occurring and destructive hazard within China's borders. Chinese population has lost more lives historically in floods than any other nation in the world. For example, the Yellow River flood in 1887 caused between 0.9 million and 2 million fatalities. In 1931, floods in China killed between 2 and 4 million people. Seven years later, the 1938 Yellow river floods claimed another 500,000– 700,000 lives. However, because of the occurrences of these tragic historical floods, China gained valuable experience with regard to the preparedness for, mitigation of, and response to catastrophic floods, which has assisted Chinese emergency managers in saving countless lives.