Published by ChinaMNC · Laixi

Qingdao Updates Flood and Drought Emergency Plan: What Foreign Founders Need to Know

Qingdao has issued a revised flood and drought emergency response plan, replacing the 2022 version. For foreign founders operating or registering a company in Qingdao, the plan clarifies government responsibilities and coordination during emergencies. Here’s a practical overview of the key points.

Qingdao’s Revised Flood and Drought Emergency Plan

The Qingdao Municipal Government has approved a revised emergency response plan for flood and drought (including typhoon) disasters. The new plan replaces the previous version issued on September 28, 2022. For foreign founders running businesses in Qingdao or considering company registration, understanding how local authorities respond to natural disasters can help you prepare your operations and ensure business continuity.

Purpose and Legal Basis

The plan aims to ensure that flood, drought, and typhoon prevention and rescue work is carried out lawfully, scientifically, efficiently, and in an orderly manner, with the goal of minimizing casualties and property losses. It is based on a range of national and provincial laws and regulations, including the Water Law, Flood Control Law, Emergency Response Law, Flood Control Regulations, Drought Relief Regulations, and relevant Shandong Province and Qingdao municipal regulations and plans.

Guiding Principles

The plan is guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the “two persistences and three transformations” philosophy of disaster prevention, reduction, and relief. It emphasizes putting people and lives first, maintaining bottom-line and extreme thinking, and balancing development with safety. Key principles include:

• Unified leadership and coordinated response: Flood and drought work is carried out under the leadership of the Party, with an administrative head responsibility system at each government level. Flood and drought command bodies at all levels operate under the leadership of the same-level Party committee and government and higher-level command bodies.
• Safety first, prevention-focused, combining prevention, resistance, and rescue: The plan stresses law-based prevention and control, mass prevention and mass control, scientific scheduling, and comprehensive management to improve emergency response capacity and protect people’s lives, property, and urban and rural water supply security.

Organizational Structure

The Qingdao Flood and Drought Command (referred to as the “Municipal Command”) leads the city’s flood and drought work, including typhoon defense. The Municipal Command Office is composed of the Municipal Water Affairs Bureau and the Municipal Emergency Management Bureau and is located within the Emergency Management Bureau. The Water Affairs Bureau handles the day-to-day work of the Municipal Command.

The Municipal Command has a “dual commander” system: two vice mayors—one overseeing emergency management and one overseeing water affairs—serve as commanders. The main responsible persons of the Water Affairs Bureau and Emergency Management Bureau serve as deputy commanders and also as deputy directors of the Office. Other deputy commanders include the Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Government and the main responsible person of the Municipal Meteorological Bureau. The command members include deputy responsible persons from various departments, including education, natural resources and planning, housing and urban-rural development, public security, culture and tourism, urban management, transportation, water affairs, agriculture and rural affairs, marine development, emergency management, the North Sea Forecasting and Disaster Reduction Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao Maritime Safety Administration, Shandong Water Network Operation and Dispatch Center Qingdao Branch, the Municipal Meteorological Bureau, the Municipal Hydrology Center, Qingdao Water Group, and Qingdao Metro Group. Deputy responsible persons from the Water Affairs Bureau and Emergency Management Bureau also serve as deputy directors of the Office.

Responsibilities of Key Departments

The plan details the duties of various departments during flood and drought emergencies. For foreign founders, these responsibilities indicate which agencies may be involved in emergency response and how they coordinate. Key departments include:

• Education Bureau: Supervises schools’ flood and drought work, promotes safety education for staff and students, and guides drowning prevention and campus safety inspections.
• Natural Resources and Planning Bureau: Organizes geological disaster surveys, monitoring, and early warning; provides technical support for geological disaster rescue.
• Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau: Guides flood and drought work in the housing and construction sector, organizes maintenance of municipal infrastructure, and guides professional assessment of dangerous buildings.
• Public Security Bureau: Maintains social order, combats crimes such as rumor-mongering and theft of flood control materials, assists in evacuating people from dangerous areas, and coordinates traffic control during rain or typhoon-related incidents.
• Culture and Tourism Bureau: Guides cultural and tourism enterprises in flood prevention, and supervises travel agencies, star-rated hotels, and A-level scenic spots for flood-season safety.
• Urban Management Bureau: Guides flood safety for public facilities in gas, landscaping, and sanitation; supervises post-rain garbage cleanup.
• Transportation Bureau: Ensures safety of waterway, road, and railway infrastructure during flood season; supervises port infrastructure and vessel wind/wave resistance; oversees passenger and public transport safety; coordinates emergency transport of people and materials; and instructs highway operators to open “green channels” for emergency transport.
• Water Affairs Bureau: Handles daily work of the Municipal Command; manages water engineering construction and safety; organizes flood and drought prevention planning; monitors and warns of water and drought conditions; provides technical support for flood defense, urban flood control, and waterlogging rescue; organizes flood drills; and manages important water projects during typhoon defense.
• Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau: Collects and reports agricultural flood and drought disaster information; guides agricultural flood and drought prevention and post-disaster recovery; provides technical guidance for production self-rescue and livestock disease prevention.
• Marine Development Bureau: Responsible for marine observation, forecasting, early warning, and disaster prevention; organizes fishing vessel sheltering and aquaculture disaster recovery.
• Emergency Management Bureau: Organizes and coordinates major flood and drought emergency rescue; coordinates emergency rescue teams; releases disaster information; manages emergency material allocation; and jointly issues geological disaster meteorological risk warnings with the Natural Resources and Planning Bureau and Meteorological Bureau.
• Meteorological Bureau: Monitors and forecasts weather and climate; provides rolling forecasts and warnings of severe weather during flood season; and supplies meteorological information to the Municipal Command and member units.
• Qingdao Water Group: Develops flood emergency plans and urban water supply guarantee plans; forms urban flood rescue teams; maintains water supply and drainage facilities; conducts inspections and sets up warnings during heavy rain; participates in urban flood rescue; and handles flood prevention for Laoshan Reservoir.
• Qingdao Metro Group: Implements flood prevention for metro lines and stations, ensures safe passages at entrances, and supervises construction site flood prevention without disrupting municipal facilities.

Other departments also have supporting roles. The Publicity Department guides public communication and opinion management; the Development and Reform Commission seeks central investment for disaster reduction and coordinates energy and transport; the Industry and Information Technology Bureau guides industrial production of emergency materials and water conservation; the Finance Bureau ensures funding for flood and drought work and seeks central support; and the Health Commission organizes medical rescue and epidemic prevention in disaster areas.

What This Means for Foreign Founders

If you operate a business in Qingdao, be aware that during flood, drought, or typhoon events, local authorities will coordinate response through the Municipal Command. Key departments may issue instructions, restrict traffic, or require evacuations. Ensure your company has a business continuity plan that accounts for potential disruptions, and stay informed through official channels. Understanding the responsibilities outlined above can help you identify which agencies to contact for specific concerns.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.

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