Disaster Relief in China

FAN YUCHEN

Since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, disaster relief has received government attention through campaigns for disaster prevention, disaster relief and post-disaster recovery. Over the past 40 years, 107.494 billion yuan have been invested in agriculture, forestry and meteorology. Between 1952 and 1986 the government has invested 63 billion yuan on water conservancy works. This involved the renovation and building of 204,000 km of dams, dykes and seawalls and the construc- tion of 83,000 reservoirs with a capacity of 450.4 billion cubic meters. In this period, a further 17 billion yuan and 0.2 billion tons of food have been provided as direct relief. This amounts to a government expenditure, in recent years, of approximately one billion yuan per year, plus relief materials.

Despite this major input, however, over 600 million mu of crops (1 mu = 0.0667 hectares) and more than 200 million people are affected by natural disaster each year. On average, 20 million tons of grain and 3 million houses are destroyed and 5-10,000 people are killed by natural disasters each year. This is equivalent to an economic loss of 20 billion yuan (40 billion yuan in a bad year). Consequently, disaster relief pro- vision presents a difficult long-term task.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISASTER RELIEF SYSTEM

The present disaster relief system was estab- lished in the 1950s. Although it has played an important role, recent societal reforms

and the development of a commodity-based econokny means that it is no longer suitable to the demands made on it.

1. The government is currently finan- cially responsible for all disaster relief, regardless of type of disaster, the economic status of the region and the population affected. This can result in a severe shortage of funds.

2. When the disaster relief system was established, central government admin- istered local revenue and expenditure. With the introduction of societal reforms, respon- sibility for local revenue and expenditure has been devolved to local level admin- istration. Central government is still respon- sible, however, for relief funds.

3 . Under the former collectively-based rural economy, when one area suffered a bad harvest the balance could be redressed by good harvests in other areas. Under the new rural economic reforms, however, harvests go to the farmers themselves and central government is soley responsible for disaster relief.

4 . With the development of a commodity-based economy, farmers have accumulated personal property. Today the property of an average-income household cannot be compared to what it was 10 to 20 years ago. The current disaster relief system only takes into account basic subsistence needs. It’s protection levels do not take into account compensation for the greater losses now met by rural households responsible for their own crop production methods.

5. Government-allocated disaster relief

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funds amount to less than one yuan per capita nationally and 4.5 yuan per capita in disaster-prone areas. Consequently, funds have always been short. Over the past few years the price of materials has risen, but disaster relief funds have not. In the 1970s, for example, 0.5 kg of corn cost less than one jiao, while the currently cost is more than 2 jiao.

REFORMING DISASTER RELIEF IN CHINA

Since the early 1980s, the civil affairs organ- isations have made changes to the disaster relief system. The local administration of finance has been tested in six provinces and autonomous regions; relief in kind has been combined with cash payments; and relief has been targeted to the poor. Despite great advances, however, drawbacks remain in the present system.

Since early 1987, the civil affairs organ- isations have introduced an insurance component into disaster relief. Rural disas- ter relief cooperation insurance was tested initially in 9 counties in 7 provinces. The test sites were extended to 82 counties in 1988 and 102 counties in 1989 in 27 provinces, autonomous regions and the cities under central government. The results have been good.

Disaster relief cooperation insurance insures the traditional disaster relief items (corn, farm houses, beasts of burden, injuries to the labour force), thus protecting the basic elements of production on a non- profit basis. The aim is to change disaster relief from the current single channelled government-funded system to a multi- channelled government and individual- funded system. The results from the test sites show that the establishment of the new disaster relief cooperation insurance policy is the major reform necessary for disaster relief in China. The insurance system has major advantages over the present disaster relief system.

1. Disaster relief provision is no longer

totally dependent upon central government finances.

2. The funds available are increased. From late 1986 to late 1988, for example, more than 86 million yuan was accumulated in the test sites, three times the disaster relief funds allocated by Government. This amount covered the disaster relief needs for the test sites and left 50 million yuan available for future disaster relief. It has been estimated that, once disaster relief cooperation insurance is practised on an extensive scale (for 1.5 billion mu of farm- land with over 200 million rural house- holds), even if only beasts of burden are insured at the lowest rate, then some 6 billion yuan of funds will be accumulated. This is ten times the amount of disaster relief funds available from Government per year. This would obviously greatly enhance the compensation ability of the disaster relief system.

3. The insurance system will require inspection and evidence of losses, thus making corruption and the misappro- priation of funds more difficult. The funds will also be managed at the county and village level, allowing for immedate com- pensation for losses.

4. The insurance system will help solve the problem of the unfair social distribution of income by redistributing national revenue to adjust for years of bumper harvests and disaster striken harvest.

Evidence from other countries initially relying on government funds for disaster relief suggests that they have experienced similar problems to China. The USSR, the USA and Japan established insurance for agricultural disaster relief in the 192Os, 1930s and 1940s respectively. Presently, 50 countries world-wide have adopted a form of agricultural insurance against disaster.

The experience of the last few years suggests that it will be possible to imple- ment disaster relief cooperation insurance in China. Since the implementation of rural reforms, per capita income in 1989

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amounted to 602 yuan. Thus, most farmers are able to afford insurance and there is a growing opinion in favour of its implementation.

Disaster relief insurance cannot, how- ever, substitute for government involve- ment in disaster relief. The formulation of disaster relief policy, disaster prevention programmes and post-disaster assistance still depend on the government for guidance and support,

INTEGRATING DISASTER RELIEF

Disaster relief studies

It is estimated that, by the year 2000, the total economic losses due to flood, drought and earthquake in China will exceed 200 billion yuan. Such a scenario requires long- term planning. Disaster relief in China currently pays more attention to short-term relief than long-term planning. The organis- ations concerned have not developed long- term strategies. Disaster relief theory, management and equipment have not developed to meet changing needs. More attention must be paid to the study of disaster relief needs for the future.

Disaster forecasting

It has been shown that accurate forecasts can reduce losses. The successful forecast- ing of the Haicheng earthquake of 1975 reduced casualties by some 100,000 and economic losses by over 4 billion yuan. Satellite monitoring and other early warn- ing systems should be utilised fully. Data networks for disaster relief should be estab- lished, particularly in disaster-prone areas. Emergency communication systems for disaster relief should be installed.

Disaster prevention projects

Since the 1950s China has invested in pro- jects for disaster prevention, particularly earthquake prevention. Overall, however, the level of disaster prevention and pre- paredness is low and the community aware- ness of disaster prevention measures is limited. The Tangshan earthquake, for example, totally destroyed a city of 1 million inhabitants and the forest fires of Daxingan- ling went unstopped for days. In recent years, disaster prevention engineering works have begun to deteriorate and the construction of new facilities has failed to keep pace. Future investment in disaster prevention works and programmes is there- fore required.

Disaster relief team

Disaster relief involves at present a huge number of people on an ad hoc basis. Using the experience of civil defence forces in other countries, China needs a specialised disaster relief team, appropriately equipped and trained.

Legislation

There is, at present, no disaster relief legis- lation. As a matter of urgency, laws and regulations should be formulated to clarify levels of disaster, tasks and responsibilities and the protection of materials.

Fan Yuchen Forecast Department Disaster Prevention Center Water Conservancy Ministry Fu-Xing Road No. Jia-1 Beijing 100038 China

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