OPINION> Commentary
How to fight disasters in future
By Wang Xu and Diao Ying (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-26 07:45

China should consider establishing an independent government agency for the reconstruction after the Wenchuan earthquake, and more importantly, to develop a comprehensive hazards management and risk mitigation system, experts attending a World Bank workshop on earthquake relief work suggest.

China, which historically has suffered major losses due to earthquakes and floods, could consider building an integrated comprehensive emergency management system, said Charles Scawthorn, a professor who heads Kyoto University's earthquake disaster prevention systems laboratory. "And an independent government agency is often needed to build and operate the system."

The agency should be responsible for coordinating the rescue and relief works across different government departments after a disaster. Meanwhile, it could take the responsibility to oversee research and design precautionary programs to minimize the impact of natural calamities.

"Several countries like the US, India and Indonesia have established the kinds of agencies, and they have proved to be quite effective," said Scawthorn.

The US was one of the first nations in the world to establish such an agency. It created its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the late 1970s to establish a comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation. It now oversees the disaster relief work from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

The FEMA has now more than 2,600 full-time employees and nearly 4,000 standby disaster assistance employees who are available for deployment after disasters. Meanwhile, it also works with state and local emergency management agencies, 27 federal agencies and the American Red Cross.

"A key target for the agency is the prevention and mitigation of hazards, " said Rajesh Kishore, chief executive officer of Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GDMA). The authority was established on February 8, 2001, about two weeks after the earthquake hit the state.

Initially, it was designed to coordinate the earthquake recovery program and manage the funds for rehabilitation and reconstruction. And now it also takes over the responsibility of disaster prevention and mitigation works in the state.

Later, India established its National Disaster Management Authority in 2005.

The Gujarat Disaster Management Agency now has around 40 people and outsources most of its research and studies to outside experts. And when necessary, it also invites experts from private sectors to help in.

After the 2001 earthquake, the GDMA invited experts from construction companies to give training courses to local masons so as to guarantee all the new buildings to meet the earthquake-resistant standards.

"By doing this, we tried to have experts from all sectors and avoid bureaucracy," said Kishore.

China established the State Disaster Relief Commission in 2005. Headed by Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu, the commission consists of about 25 members from 30 different departments under the State Council, such as the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the China Seismological Bureau. Meanwhile, it also set up an expert committee on disaster prevention and relief.

The commission is responsible for mapping out the nationwide plan for disaster prevention and relief works. And upon the occurrence of a disaster, it also coordinates different government departments for rescue and relief works.

"The participation of so many government agencies makes coordination very complicated. And it could reduce the efficiency of rescue and relief operation," writes Wang Angsheng, the chief expert of the State Disaster Relief Commission, according to Xinhua News Agency.

A permanent agency will also contribute to the effective recovery and reconstruction in the quake-hit area, experts say.

"There must be a comprehensive reconstruction plan," said Geoffrey Read, an urban planning specialist and also a consultant to the World Bank. Read was on the expert team sent by the bank to Lijiang in Yunnan province after a major earthquake rocked the area in 1996.

Shortly after the quake, the expert team carried out an extensive assessment of the damage and loss in the area. And in the following 18 months, a detailed plan was mapped out and implemented by the provincial government, local authorities and the community, which helped Lijiang city not only recover but also retain its cultural heritage.

Now the city has grown into one of the most famous tourist spots in Southwest China, with few traces of the devastating quake.

However, some remote mountainous communities were still struggling to recover even about 10 years after the earthquake, said Read. "It's mainly due to limited resources. The mountainous areas in Sichuan province may face the same difficulties in the recovery process, and should be included in the reconstruction planning."

Analysts say a permanent accountable reconstruction agency could help better coordinate the allocation of relief resources, and facilitate the complex reconstruction process, especially when the reconstruction and recovery process could take as much as 10 years.

"The important thing of reconstruction is to do it right, rather than quickly, despite the pressure to build homes for the people living in the tents." said Kishore. "Or, you may lay a weak foundation to something else tomorrow."

(China Daily 06/26/2008 page9)