Shanghai has released a five-year plan detailing how it will strengthen urban resilience and safety through 2030. By then, Shanghai aims to become a leading city in China and a world-class city in the field.

The plan covers spatial resilience, critical infrastructure and building safety, risk prevention, emergency response, community participation, technology-enabled governance, and regional cooperation.

More accessible emergency support

Shanghai will assess existing emergency shelters at all levels throughout the city and pilot standardized approaches to their development.

Temporary refuge stations will also be established at Party-mass service centers and other neighborhood facilities. These sites will offer residents, visitors, food delivery riders, sanitation workers, and others nearby places to shelter and rest during extreme weather.

Mini fire stations at the subdistrict and town levels will be upgraded to facilities that integrate emergency management and firefighting functions.

Residents will be encouraged to report safety hazards via the 12345 hotline, the Suishenpai reporting platform, and the Community Cloud platform. Food delivery riders and couriers will also be encouraged to report hazards encountered along their routes.

Stronger infrastructure and spatial resilience

The plan calls for improvements to critical infrastructure, including water supply systems, power grids, oil and gas supply, transportation facilities, and communications networks.

Shanghai will develop public infrastructure that can serve both everyday and emergency needs and can be quickly repurposed when required.

In central Shanghai, the city will more flexibly utilize space above ground, at ground level, and underground for daily and emergency purposes. The arrangement of emergency supply depots, rescue bases, shelters, and fire rescue facilities will be enhanced around the Middle Ring Road and the Outer Ring Expressway.

Resilient spaces will be developed to high standards in major strategic areas, including the Hongqiao International Central Business District and surrounding areas, the Eastern Hub International Business Cooperation Zone and surrounding areas, Grand NeoBay and surrounding areas, and the Greater Wusong area. The five new cities — suburban towns in Jiading, Songjiang, Qingpu, Fengxian, and Nanhui, also known as Lin-gang in Pudong New Area — will improve the layout of emergency shelters and essential supply facilities and make better use of them for both everyday and emergency needs.

Shanghai will also explore developing large-scale ecological embankments in riverfront, coastal, and bayside areas; restoring wetlands and riverbank greenery in the Huangpu River basin; and creating forest and wetland areas that can absorb and retain stormwater.

Better warnings and emergency response

Shanghai will strengthen every stage of emergency management, from preparedness and response to recovery. Measures include practical, scenario-based emergency plans, more frequent and innovative drills, and stronger emergency command, response, and recovery capabilities.

New technologies such as big data, the internet of things, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and digital twins will support risk monitoring and early warning, complex-scenario simulation and analysis, and emergency command.

Cooperation across the Yangtze River Delta will also be strengthened in emergency command, rescue operations, and emergency support. Cross-regional rescue and evacuation routes will be better connected to ensure the efficient movement of people and supplies during emergencies.

Source: Shanghai Municipal People's Government