Low-Altitude Emergency Rescue in China: Development Priorities and Phase-Specific Needs Across 31 Provincial Regions

Low-altitude aviation can support regional emergency services, but resource allocation must account for disaster-phase demand and regional workforce capacity. This study develops a provincial development priority model covering preparedness and early warning, emergency response, and recovery and reconstruction. Across 31 provincial-level regions in mainland China, geological hazard sites recorded in 2015 and the mean annual number of affected person-times and direct economic losses during 2020–2024 are adopted to represent phase-specific demand. Linear min–max normalization and Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) weighting method, together with the number of licensed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilot counts in 2023 as a workforce capacity indicator, are applied to determine priorities for additional services. Sichuan, Henan, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Yunnan rank highest overall, with distinct demand profiles: preparedness surveillance dominates in Sichuan; response and recovery in Henan; and demand is high across all phases in Hunan. Jiangxi and Yunnan have similar overall scores, but surveillance and response contribute larger shares in Yunnan, whereas recovery contributes a larger share in Jiangxi. Across alternative weight settings, normalization methods, and observation periods, Sichuan, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Yunnan remain among the top five; Henan’s ranking is more sensitive to approach and observation window. The findings inform differentiated resource allocation and interregional cooperation to support the sustainable spatial deployment of low-altitude emergency services.