Disasters in Asia: The case for legal preparedness

This advocacy report highlights how better legislation can help to significantly reduce the human suffering caused by the growing number of natural disasters. It highlights three areas where IFRC expects law to make a key difference in Asia Pacific and where the Red Cross and Red Crescent is supporting governments to tackle the problems: (i) international assistance, including a case study in Indonesia; (ii) securing shelter, including a case study in Sri Lanka, and (iii) risk reduction, including a case study in the Philippines.

Following these three areas it concludes by encouraging governments in the Asia Pacific region to use International Disaster Response Laws, Rules and Principles (IDRL) guidelines as a tool: (i) for assessing the preparedness of existing legal and regulatory frameworks to receive international disaster assistance; (ii) for assessing the preparedness to overcome legal barriers to speedy, stable and equitable shelter solutions for disaster-affected households; and (iii) for strengthening the focus on community-based disaster risk reduction in their disaster management laws. It also states that disasters are rarely natural whether hazards are. It goes even further, asserting that disasters are failures to cope with hazards.