Economic, Social and Developmental Indicators (ESDI) to Measure Earthquake Recoveries in China

Abstract

China is a country prone to disasters and earthquake is one of the continuous threats. Most serious recent earthquake was the Sichuan earthquake in 2008 and the earlier one was the Tangshan earthquake happened in the year of 1976. China was acknowledged for its “responses” in speedily mobilizing all resources to rescue. However little has been reported on the aspects of “recovery”, “mitigation” and “preparation”, the other three components in disaster management cycle. This paper aims to review the attempts in disaster management in China particularly on the part of government, by examining post-disaster economic growth and social developments, in the cases of four counties namely Wenchuan, Beichuan, Yushuand Yingjiang. The former two were the hardest hit areas during the Sichuan earthquake and the latter two were epic-centers of earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Results of local GDP increases, population mobility and formation of social associations, showed that all counties have developed tremendously in term of economic production, however social progress has achieved less impressive growth. Volunteerism has emerged as a new phenomenon in these places and supported by the policies and legislations of the Central Government.