Local Earthquake Mitigation and Preparedness Planning in China and the United States

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A joint social science research project on earthquake planning is being undertaken by the Section on Seismosociology of the Institute of Geophysics in Beijing, the People's Republic of China, and the Disaster Research Center (DRC) at the University of Delaware, U.S.A. Each side will concurrently study the earthquake hazard mitigation planning (Phase I) and the earthquake emergency preparedness planning (Phase II) in two earthquake prone cities in their own countries (San Francisco and Memphis are the two communities selected in the United States). In general, information will be sought on the characteristics of the organizations involved in both kinds of planning, the nature of the planning measures and arrangements in place, the problematical aspects of the planning process, and the factors or conditions associated with the character of the groups, the nature of the planning, and the problems in both the hazard mitigation planning and the emergency preparedness planning. The data gathering research design will be roughly comparable in both societies and close collaboration on the work over a 36 month period will be maintained by extended study visits to the United States of two Chinese researchers, and briefer visits of DRC staff to China to compare research results and to agree upon a common report setting forth the implications which can be drawn for the transfer in both directions of the social technology of earthquake planning (Phase III). In addition, the DRC research will examine in more detail for the American context what links exist between mitigation and preparedness, the relationship of earthquake specific and all hazard preparedness planning, and the social aspects of earthquake hazard mitigation practice.