What did the two typhoons leave behind for Shanghai officials?
Within a week, two typhoons, Bebejia and Prasang, hit Shanghai in quick succession. The former was the strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai in 75 years, while the latter brought concentrated heavy rainfall that was rare in many years. The operation and management of the entire city were put to a severe test.
Fighting typhoons is a battle of encounters and a total war. In the special scenario of a complex giant system of a megacity, every extreme weather and every extreme condition at every point may lead to systemic impacts, which requires systematic thinking.
To cope with the overall war, we need to improve the "overall prevention capacity of the whole society" - this is an aspect that the municipal party committee has repeatedly emphasized. Overall capacity is not the capacity of a certain aspect, nor the capacity of a certain department or group, but the joint efforts of all parties in the operation of the city.
The two typhoons tested the city's infrastructure construction level, early warning and monitoring capabilities, emergency response capabilities, social mobilization capabilities, and repair capabilities to varying degrees, which can be regarded as a comprehensive test of urban governance. Judging from the city's operating status during and after the storm, especially the experience of citizens, Shanghai's answer sheet has many commendable points, but also has shortcomings.
After the typhoon has gone, it is advisable to review all aspects, especially focusing on "overall capabilities" and making the best use of strengths to overcome weaknesses. In this way, we can fight a better prepared battle when facing the next typhoon or other tests.
When General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Shanghai last year, he explicitly called for “comprehensively promoting the construction of a resilient and safe city”. The resilience of a city is largely reflected in this “overall capability”. First of all, it should be made clear that the “overall capability” in an emergency situation often depends on the level of daily governance. Only when we have a basis for daily response can we avoid panicking in extreme situations and make accurate judgments and take correct responses to the greatest extent possible. This is the key to the “combination of peacetime and wartime” that has been often mentioned in recent years.
Overall capabilities include both the "material" and "human" levels. They include the depth and effectiveness of the application of infrastructure and technology, especially data-based and intelligent technologies, as well as the risk awareness, professional qualities, and alert and combat-ready mental state of all types of people.
From the perspective of "things", sufficient systematic thinking, forward-looking prediction and technical support can create a solid and reliable "foundation" for the city. Shanghai has been practicing for many years to build a "city brain" and empower urban governance with digital and intelligent means. In the continuous fight against typhoons this time, the city operation center and the city brain platform at the municipal and district levels have played a role to varying degrees through the "neuron" sensors throughout the city. In addition, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology in recent years, today's early warning, analysis, and judgment capabilities for typhoon paths and impacts should be significantly improved compared to a few years ago, let alone earlier.
The "tools" at the technical level are becoming more and more abundant, and the technology itself will continue to iterate, and the application of technology will have a more continuous optimization process. In practice, there are also many user feedbacks that there is still a lot of room for improvement in the sensitivity of sensor equipment, the degree of sharing and circulation of information data, etc. In some places, there are still problems such as data not being used and scenes being "invisible". Behind this is the big issue of highlighting system coordination, building a "holistic government", and strengthening overall efficiency - through a greater degree of openness and sharing, making the coordination of the upper, lower, left and right blocks clearer, smoother, and more "silky", and even making the coordination of planning, construction, operation, maintenance and other links closer and more thoughtful, is undoubtedly an important direction of effort.
The "people" level is a test of a city's patience, carefulness, and attentiveness. The essence of these hearts is the sense of responsibility of "always being worried", and the conscious action of always being on duty, on duty, and responsible. Of course, it also includes full estimation of risks, careful investigation, and thorough preparation.
For ordinary people, the impact and test brought by extreme weather are often unknown, but in the uncertainty, the meticulousness of all parties involved in urban operation and the diligence of cadres at all levels can bring important certainty. This week, the images of many front-line workers and grassroots cadres working all night in the wind and rain often give people comfort and confidence. This is the unchanging way to deal with all risks and challenges.
To some extent, the overall ability to deal with risks, including judgment, reaction, disposal, and even the ability to control the use of "things", is based on this simple sense of responsibility. People with a heart will be more cautious and meticulous, and it will be easier for them to see the hidden risks, hidden dangers, and needs. They will also be more mentally and professionally prepared, and they will be more able to unite people and gather strength.
This sense of responsibility, of course, also includes thinking from the "user perspective" of the citizens, including the awareness of being as comprehensive as possible even if "ten defenses are nine out of ten". In extreme cases, the response measures based on this awareness not only directly affect people's experience and the vital interests of the masses, but may also affect the reputation of a city.
The two typhoons have gone, but similar risks and challenges will not end for megacities, nor will the test for cadres - responsibility, the sense of responsibility that remains unchanged despite all changes. Improving the "overall capacity" and resilience of the city is the most important foundation.
