Saving lives, changing minds. Disaster Laws The South Asia context: national disaster laws and regional cooperation

Saving lives, changing minds. Disaster Laws Overview of the presentation  Disasters in South Asia  Developments in disaster laws at the national level  Regional cooperation

Saving lives, changing minds. Disaster Laws Key messages  South Asia will continue to experience large-scale natural disasters  Taking action now can lead to better laws in the future  We can work together to strengthen disaster laws in the region  Laws can save lives!

Saving lives, changing minds. Disaster Laws Disasters in South Asia  256,000 people affected in Asia in 2010  863,279 people killed in Asia  South Asia is particularly disaster prone  Right now:  Sikkim earthquake  Floods in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh

Saving lives, changing minds. Disaster Laws Disaster laws in South Asia  Relatively new (from 2005) disaster management laws in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan  Disaster management laws have been drafted in Maldives, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh

Saving lives, changing minds. Disaster Laws Taking action at the national level Legal preparedness studies  Detailed review of existing laws and regulations for receiving international assistance  Undertaken by the National Societies and government with support from the IFRC  Results: recommendations and action plan to address any gaps

Saving lives, changing minds. Disaster Laws Taking action at the national level DRR Studies - Review on how legislation can support (or impede) disaster risk reduction, particularly at the community level. - Identifying good practices as well as some gaps in the legal framework or its implementation

Saving lives, changing minds. Disaster Laws Taking action at the national level Researching shelter problems and solutions  Work together to undertake informal ‘audits’  Identify best practice in developing measures before a disaster  Raise attention to these specific areas

Saving lives, changing minds. Disaster Laws South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation  Comprehensive Framework on Disaster Management  SAARC DM centre  Draft SAARC Agreement on Rapid Response for member states  Respect for each other’s sovereignty  Assistance upon request  Receiving states to have overall control  Assisting states to receive certain legal facilities

Saving lives, changing minds. Disaster Laws Regional cooperation - ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response - SOPAC Disaster Risk Management reviews