Volunteers carry disaster relief supplies at a relief center on May 21, 2008 in Deyang, Sichuan Province. More than 80,000 people died or went missing during the May 12 earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the Richter scale, in southwest China’s Sichuan Province in that year.

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When major disasters strike, the effectiveness of traditional forms of relief that rely solely on the government is limited. A review of China’s major disasters in recent years—the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the 2010 Yushu earthquake, the 2013 Ya’an earthquake and the 2017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake—reveals the importance of social mobilization in disaster relief.

Disaster rescue requires the joint efforts of the government and the public. However, the results are not satisfactory, because the natural tendency of the government to exercise control can conflict with the unbridled spirit of voluntarism found among the masses.

 

Public-private cooperation
Mobilization was originally a military term. Referring to the preparatory work done before a battle, it aims to optimize soldiers’ morale and conditions. In the context of social development, the term has been applied to other areas. Now, it refers to the way the government or an organization mobilizes the public to realize a certain objective through publicity, advocacy and organization.

Social mobilization in the context of disaster relief refers to the process by which the government and social organizations try to motivate all entities and individuals to engage in relief work via the administrative system or nongovernmental channels. It utilizes various approaches to integrate social resources to carry out relief.

At first, social mobilization was mainly the responsibility of the government. This meant rescue work was a political task because it mobilized the public through administrative orders. This pattern was highly efficient and could quickly assemble resources from a region or even the nation. However, as the times and people’s perception continue to change, more and more people are responding to social mobilization out of a sense of altruism rather than obligation.

Disasters make the masses aware of their roles, which makes them willing to carry out rescue and donation activities spontaneously. They show a strong willingness to cooperate with the government to overcome the difficulty. In essence, this is the phenomenon of consistency in times of emergency. Therefore, the current mode of disaster response has combined government-ordered mobilization and spontaneous mobilization by the masses.

The main aim for social mobilization in disasters is to provide resources to meet demand. There are two ways. In the first, the government serves as a bridge. It not only directly fulfills the needs of victims but also calls on the masses to provide supplies.

The second mode involves the direct connection between victims and the public. Nevertheless, currently, the government still plays a critical role in preventing social conflicts in the event of an unbalanced distribution of supplies.

Therefore, the government should take responsibility for ensuring social equity and public security as well as ensuring spontaneous mobilization in good order.

 

Ordered management
During the 2010 Yushu earthquake in Qinghai Province, hundreds of firefighters from Guangdong Province—around 3,000 kilometers from Qinghai—were called into action but they were forced to leave due to altitude sickness. In fact, Jiegu Town, the most badly hit area, was located within a long and narrow valley and could not accommodate too many rescue workers. Rescue teams from adjacent provinces, like Tibet, Sichuan and Gansu, with rich experience of rescue work in high-altitude areas were sufficient.

The example demonstrates that in rescue operations, quantity does not always mean efficiency.
Hence, after the 2013 Ya’an earthquake and the 2017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake, the government dispatched rescue teams in an orderly and dynamic way. For example, it deployed the nearest personnel first and withheld adjacent teams as reserves. In order to carry out rescue work in the most coordinated way possible, the government can deploy social resources via administrative measures. But for spontaneously mobilized organizations or individuals, these measures may not be effective and may even dampen the enthusiasm of the masses.

The masses make spontaneous contributions to rescue operations in two ways: One is to donate materials and the other is to provide rescue services. In terms of donations, some materials might not match needs, and thus may be of little value. For example, some donated camping tents to Yushu in April, when it was cold, and the temperatures could be below zero. This would increase the transportation cost and traffic pressure to the area.

In volunteer work, the problems are mainly due to the irrational participation of some individual volunteers. With only their enthusiasm, they rush into rescue work. Some of them lack professional skills and are not equipped with the necessary protective gear. Some even become the ones who need help.

In research, the amassing of people, materials and information is one phenomenon that should be avoided in disaster rescue. After the disaster, victims and their relatives, volunteers, reporters, and researchers all crowd into the area, and they also bring with them lots of supplies.

In addition, people try to make phone calls, which can block the communication channels. Improper management of these crowds will lead to a waste of resources and may also generate conflicts, further complicating the situation.

 

From participation to dialogue
To realize orderly social mobilization, the government should first recognize the role of mass participation and properly handle their relationship with the masses in rescue work. Currently, the government’s part in disaster relief is still indispensible. But, it should not utilize mandatory measures. Rather, it should form a partnership with the public to encourage social participation.
 

 

In times of major disasters, it is reasonable that the government needs social participation in rescue work as a supplement, but on the other hand, there is also the possibility of unintended consequences. Sometimes it is hard to achieve perfect cooperation between the two parties because the traditional disaster-response system did not adequately consider the role of the public and therefore failed to account for their enthusiasm and limitations.

If the government continues the traditional pattern, it will continue to occupy the major role and the public will remain only participants. In the strict sense, the word “participation”reflects the unequal status, meaning the masses themselves cannot decide when and how to take part in rescue efforts.

In future, the government should view the public as stakeholders and let them join in formulating plans as well as sharing information in the rescue process. In this way, the two parties can cooperate with and supplement each other. The public can dialogue with the government during the process and thus make their due contribution.

This will not only encourage the public to develop the mentality of safeguarding themselves and reduce the pressure of the government in disaster relief but also promote social harmony by creating an atmosphere of mutual aid.

Though the public are not professional emergency responders, they can provide services that do not require expertise, such as preparing food for rescue teams and victims. Burdened with various tasks, the government cannot concentrate on disaster assistance management at all times. Recovery after a disaster is a long process involving economy, society, the environment and mass psychology, where the public can play a larger role. 

The public can provide a variety of personalized rescue services, especially in fields the government is weak in. Therefore, the government should raise public awareness about disaster prevention and emergency response. It also should organize emergency drills to detect problems and train the public. This is a process of empowering the public to act. It allows the masses to grasp the situation and adjust their own behavior after disaster happens.

Also, the public will understand government orders more appropriately. For example, they will not take the order that “volunteers are not encouraged to go to the affected area on their own” as an indicator that they are not welcome to take part in rescue work.

 

Wang Hongwei is from the School of Public Policy and Management at Renmin University of China.