From Warning to Action: An Integrated Governance Model for Last-Mile Evacuation in Mountain Hazard Management

Effectively bridging the last-mile between precise early warnings and timely evacuations remains a critical challenge in mountain hazard risk reduction. This study examines an innovative governance model developed in China that systematically integrates technological infrastructure, institutional coordination, and community mobilization to address this gap. The model is built upon a high-precision forecasting system, which leverages an integrated space-air-ground observational network, advanced numerical models, and localized historical disaster databases to enable reliable short-term hazard predictions. Operationally, the model establishes a robust inter-agency coordination framework. Meteorological, natural resources, water resources, and emergency management agencies collaborate through institutionalized data-sharing and joint warning-issuance protocols. Warnings are disseminated via a multi-channel communication system—including national emergency broadcasting, SMS, and digital platforms—to ensure comprehensive and rapid coverage. A key innovation lies in embedding technical and managerial capacities within grassroots social governance structures. Through a community-based monitoring network, a grid-based management system, and a point-to-point household verification mechanism, warnings are directly delivered, confirmed, and acted upon at the local level. This process is reinforced by regular emergency drills, detailed evacuation plans, and pre-designated shelters, thereby translating abstract warnings into concrete public action and significantly reducing the decision-to-response time. Empirical evidence demonstrates that this integrated approach enhances local risk perception, improves evacuation efficiency, and contributes to measurable reductions in disaster risk. The model’s effectiveness stems from its capacity to overcome not only the physical dissemination gap but also the socio-cognitive and organizational barriers that often hinder protective action. As a transferable governance solution, it represents a paradigm shift from reactive emergency response to proactive, integrated risk management, offering valuable insights for mountainous regions worldwide facing similar last-mile evacuation challenges.