Theoretical Connotation and Improvement Path of Government Digital Resilience – A Case Study Based on the Practice of Urban Emergency Management Digital Transformation in China

As digital technology increasingly merges with governmental operational capabilities, the complete digital transformation of emergency management has become an essential component of smart city development in China. However, deep integration of digitalization into government functions has also introduced new crises, such as digital malfunction, vulnerability, and risks. Against this backdrop, this paper conducts an in-depth case study on the digital transformation of emergency management in Shanghai, a major Chinese city. It uses the resilience theoretical framework to explore and develop the concept of digital resilience, a critical pathway for enhancing governmental digital capabilities. The study reveals that digital resilience in government emergency management comprises five key attributes: robustness, flexibility, adaptability, redundancy, and intelligence, essential for fostering smart emergency responses and building resilient cities. Additionally, the research identifies digital collaboration based on inter-jurisdictional data sharing as a crucial method for constructing digital resilience in government emergency management. These findings deepen the theoretical understanding of governmental digital resilience and collaboration, providing valuable managerial insights and lessons for other nations and cities advancing their emergency management digital transformations.