Post-Disaster Recovery and Resilience in China Following Mega Disasters
DETAILS
CALL FOR PAPERS
Post-Disaster Recovery and Resilience in China Following Mega Disasters
Journal: Progress in Disaster Science
Publisher: Elsevier
Submission Deadline: 30 September 2026
Introduction
China's experience with mega-disasters — such as the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and the 2010 Zhouqu debris flow — has driven the evolution of its post-disaster recovery systems. This Special Issue critically evaluates the scientific evidence for recovery and resilience-building interventions following such events.
Original research is invited examining the long-term impacts, effectiveness, and challenges of reconstruction, rehabilitation, and resilience programs. Contributions should analyze governance models, technological applications, community engagement, and socio-economic outcomes. The Special Issue aims to synthesize empirical knowledge, derive transferable lessons, and provide evidence-based recommendations for enhancing resilience in China and other high-risk regions worldwide.
Scope & Significance
China's post-disaster recovery experience offers one of the most extensive and well-documented bodies of evidence in the world — spanning large-scale reconstruction programs, innovative governance arrangements, and significant investments in resilience-building. This Special Issue harnesses that evidence to generate knowledge applicable not only within China but across other disaster-prone regions globally — contributing to international disaster risk reduction science and policy.
Four Core Thematic Areas
Theme 1 — Recovery
Emergency public health and rescue operations
Disaster management and logistics
Information management and communication
Needs assessment, insurance, and financing
Theme 2 — Reconstruction
Disaster mitigating infrastructure and engineering
Socio-economic impact and relief strategies
Rebuilding cultural heritage sites
Environmental and eco-friendly reconstruction
Theme 3 — Rehabilitation
Medical and mental rehabilitation of affected populations
Rebuilding social fabric and community cohesion after disaster-driven displacement
Rehabilitation of intangible cultural heritage
Biodiversity and environmental rehabilitation
Theme 4 — Resilience
Development of national and international disaster resilience policy
Community-based disaster risk reduction and public education
Strategies for economic resilience
Empowerment of vulnerable groups
List of Topic Areas
Manuscripts are invited on themes including, but not limited to:
Post-disaster recovery governance models in China — national, regional, and local dimensions
Emergency response logistics and disaster management systems
Post-earthquake reconstruction — engineering, infrastructure, and land use
Debris flow, landslide, and geological disaster recovery strategies
Socio-economic impacts of mega-disasters and relief effectiveness
Cultural heritage reconstruction — tangible and intangible dimensions
Environmental rehabilitation and eco-friendly reconstruction approaches
Medical and psychological rehabilitation of disaster-affected populations
Community cohesion, social capital, and displacement recovery
Biodiversity and ecosystem rehabilitation following mega-disasters
Community-based disaster risk reduction programs and public education
Economic resilience strategies — livelihoods, employment, and recovery financing
Technology applications in disaster recovery — remote sensing, digital tools, AI
Disaster insurance, financing mechanisms, and needs assessment frameworks
Vulnerable groups — gender, age, disability, and equity in disaster recovery
Transferable lessons from China's mega-disaster experience for other high-risk regions
Guest Editors
Prof. Di Baofeng Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Prof. Milan Konecny Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Dr. Xu Chong National Institute of Natural Hazards, Ministry of Emergency Management of China, Beijing, China
Dr. Joseph Balikuddembe Kimuli Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Dr. Andreas Nienkötter Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Key Deadlines
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 30 September 2026
Submission Guidelines
Submit your manuscript via Editorial Manager, the official online submission system for Progress in Disaster Science:
https://www2.cloud.editorialmanager.com/pdisas/default2.aspx
When submitting, select Article Type:
"VSI: China's Disaster Recovery"
All submissions must be original and must not be under review elsewhere at the time of submission. All articles will be reviewed by no fewer than two independent experts.
For author guidelines, visit the official Progress in Disaster Science journal page on the Elsevier ScienceDirect website.
Why Publish in This Special Issue?
Special Issue articles are downloaded twice as often within the first 24 months compared to regular issue articles
Special Issue articles attract 20% more citations in the first 24 months
Articles are published together on ScienceDirect — making it easy for researchers to discover your work
All articles reviewed by no fewer than two independent experts
About the Journal
Progress in Disaster Science, published by Elsevier, is a fully open access peer-reviewed journal with a CiteScore of 6.5 and Impact Factor of 3.8. It is dedicated to advancing research on disaster risk reduction, emergency management, and post-disaster recovery — providing an international platform for interdisciplinary scholarship exploring the science, policy, and practice of building resilient communities and systems in the face of natural and man-made disasters worldwide.
ServiceSetu Academics — Premier Platform for Academic Opportunities & Research Collaboration
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