A comparison of China and Australia flood response practice

China and Australia have a high incidence of flood disasters and the damage, loss of life that they cause. Both countries have successful flood management approaches underpinned by disaster management methodologies and resources. This research highlights different flood management practices in China and Australia to compare and contrast these approaches to develop cross-cultural "lessons learned". This research compares how both the countries plan for and respond to flood disasters, highlighting their operational differences. Our comparison focus es on their political systems as a background to their flood responses. Analysis shows that China is more reliant on government and the military for flood management during disasters, with the central government leading the management effort. China's approach is top down with minimal regional and local government interference. In Australia, state governments are responsible for flood control and local council coordination, and rarely use military resources. China has an operational advantage in large scale of floods, but Australia has an operational advantage when they are small scale. This thesis concludes with a comparison of Chinese and Australian flood management practices. It is hoped that lessons can be learned by both countries from developing a better understanding of the flood management practices of both countries.