To optimize the pathways for cross-regional collaboration in natural disaster management, focused on Yangtze River delta—a pioneering region in cross-provincial collaborative practices—and employed social network analysis and QAP analysis to construct a cross-regional emergency collaboration network for natural disaster response in the area. The study examined both the overall and nodal characteristics of the network to assess the current state of cross-regional emergency collaboration and identify the driving factors behind such cooperation. The results indicate that with the establishment and development of Yangtze River delta emergency management task force, intercity collaboration barriers have gradually diminished, and the emergency collaboration network has become increasingly dense, reflecting more frequent interregional cooperative governance. Provincial governments, represented by the three provinces and one municipality (Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Shanghai), serve as the dominant actors in the collaborative network, while municipal governments such as Xuancheng, Jiaxing, and Suzhou act as proactive facilitators. Key factors driving the formation of this cross-regional collaborative governance mechanism include geographical proximity, industrial structure, transportation infrastructure, interprovincial administrative relationships, and historical cooperative ties.