CO18015 | Society-Driven Disaster Response: New Model from China? | RSIS

"The 2013 Lushan earthquake marked a new breakthrough in the development of China’s NGO-led disaster response. NGOs and private charities for the first time broke the monopoly of state-run relief agencies over fund raising from public donation.

They were able to mobilise massive social resources to deliver more relief goods, respond to more calls for help, and support more long-term recovery projects. One Foundation alone received more than 380 million Renminbi, outperforming all state-run charities.

Taking full advantage of their networks of local partners, social media, and interactive mapping technology, relief NGOs acting together were able to gather more accurate information about relief needs, identify logistical problems better, and deliver goods faster than governmental agencies.

Because of the extraordinary success in the 2013 Lushan earthquake, One Foundation, joined by many other NGOs and private foundations, pushed forward the development of a nation-wide relief NGO network – the China NGO Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction. This is the first formal platform in China that coordinates resources and actors across civil society, government, and business in disaster management."