Disaster law and the post-Hyogo pedagogical change in the framework of governance

Abstract

This chapter ignites the debate on institutional functioning which is crucial to disaster preparedness. Law assumes institutions as legitimized structures which function through transparency and accountability to overcome many such policy hurdles. The author captures the changing pedagogy of disaster management after Hyogo Declaration changed the course of disaster management from ‘rescue, relief and rehabilitation’ to ‘resilience building, risk reduction and mitigation’ (RRM in place of DRR) in which resilience building becomes a priority. This change in the assumption of the nature of disasters creates a larger space for ‘law’ to influence preparedness and community resilience building on one hand and reducing vulnerability on the other. Disaster law is a way of strengthening communities and identifying culpability of government, administrative accountability followed by an appropriate and proportionate legal action.