“Environment-Supply”: Comparative Analysis of Provincial Disaster Relief Core Policies in China

Abstract

Combating natural disasters is an eternal challenge for human survival and development. As a manifestation of the integrated development of disaster management and social security, the soundness of core disaster relief policies profoundly impacts China's disaster prevention, mitigation, and response capabilities, as well as its public safety assurance capacity. Examining provincial-level core disaster relief policies in China can provide valuable insights for future policy adjustments and improvements. This study employs policy instruments as its analytical framework. Utilizing Nvivo software, it coded 42 provincial-level policy documents and constructed a two-dimensional analytical structure—environmental policy instruments and supply-oriented policy instruments. Findings reveal that while most provinces (municipalities) currently possess core policies in disaster relief, there exists uneven application of policy instruments and imbalanced allocation of resources. With the introduction of the comprehensive security and emergency response framework, China's public safety governance has entered a new developmental phase. Provincial (municipal) disaster relief policies should be updated accordingly, integrating information technology to achieve comprehensive enhancement of disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief capabilities..