Building e-resilience in China
China is one of the world’s most disaster-affected countries. This report examines the role of the information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, services and applications in disaster risk management (DRM) and disaster risk reduction (DRR). Particular attention is given to the concept of e-resilience, i.e. the ability of ICT systems to withstand, recover from and change in the face of an external disturbance such as a natural disaster. The study looks at the gaps and performance weaknesses in the ICT infrastructure, from its local access networks and national backbone, to its international connectivity. The study also assesses the extent of the ‘digital divide’ in China, with the aim to identify priorities for future infrastructure deployments and to provide guidance to policymakers.
