China’s Rural Comprehensive Disaster Reduction Policies (1949–2021): Evolution and Lessons Based on Sociotechnical Configuration Analysis

Abstract

China’s rural regions grapple with considerable challenges concerning infrastructure and disaster prevention capabilities. Addressing these will be pivotal in the nation’s future endeavors toward disaster mitigation and development. This research categorizes China’s comprehensive rural disaster reduction policies (RCDRPs) spanning from 1949 to 2021 into distinct evolutionary phases, using quantitative characteristics. Utilizing sociotechnical configuration analysis, we visually chart the progression of policy focal points and draw preliminary lessons from them. Key insights include: (1) the RCDRPs from 1949 to 2021 can be segregated into three distinct phases; (2) there’s been a noticeable rise in the RCDRPs jointly promulgated by multiple governmental departments, and the interconnectedness with policymaker networks has thickened, indicating increased synergy amongst governmental bodies; and (3) the primary thrust of RCDRPs has transitioned from postdisaster recuperation to predisaster safeguarding and from a primary emphasis on disaster management to a broader approach to holistic disaster reduction. Drawing upon these insights, this study employs the crisis management framework—encompassing prevention, preparation, response, and recovery—to shed light on potential directions of future disaster prevention and mitigation policies in China. The aim is to align these with the overarching vision of urban–rural integrated development, thereby advancing emergency governance modernization in China’s countryside.