Good legislation is critical to reducing disaster and climate risks. Law can set the stage for early warning, financing, community empowerment and accountability – or it can obscure and obstruct the necessary steps.
Laws and regulations serve as a foundation for building community resilience. They are essential to reducing existing risks posed by natural hazards, preventing new risks from arising and making people safer. In 2005, the Hyogo Framework for Action highlighted the importance of good legislation to support disaster risk reduction (DRR). The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, adopted in March 2015, calls for a renewed focus on reviewing and strengthening legal frameworks.
In light of this international guidance, many countries have sought to strengthen their laws and regulations for DRR and have been asking: what should good legislation say about DRR?
Since 2012, The IFRC and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have been working on a joint project to research, compare and consult on the efforts of various countries to strengthen how their laws support the reduction of disaster risks, particularly at the community level. In June 2014, they launched a major new study examining 31 countries and in December 2015, they launched a new tool, The Checklist on Law and Disaster Risk Reduction and its accompanying guide, The Handbook on Law and Disaster Risk Reduction, to provide practical guidance on this area of law.
Quick links
33rd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
o Draft resolution (33IC/19/12.5DR) (also available in French, Spanish and Arabic)
o Background document (33IC/19/12.5) (also available in French, Spanish and Arabic)
o Annex: The Checklist on Law and Disaster Preparedness and Response (also available in French, Spanish and Arabic)
International Disaster Law Course, San Remo
IFRC COVID-19 Emergency Decree Research
Introducing the COVID-19 Platform
In the Humanitarian Diplomacy and Advocacy page of the platform dedicated to COVID-19, you will find documents related to Humanitarian Diplomacy and Advocacy. Access this page for all IFRC Review of Emergency Decrees in relation to COVID-19 per country.
Disaster law tools
Key disaster law issues
Research toolbox
Training toolbox
Case Studies
- A seat at the table: inclusive decision-making to strengthen local resilience
- From law to action: Saving lives through International Disaster Response Law
- Samoa: Strengthening Protection, Gender and Inclusion in Disaster Law
- Disaster Law in Action: Uganda Case Study
- Disaster Law in Action: Malawi Case Study
- Customs and Supply Strategy during COVID-19: Spanish Red Cross Case Study
- Customs and Supply Strategy during COVID-19: Spanish Red Cross Case Study (Spanish)
- Customs and Supply Strategy during COVID-19: Spanish Red Cross Case Study (French)
News stories
Disaster risk management (DRM) and governance in Nepal is in good hands – the hands of the communities and their local authorities who are most affected by disasters and climate change. In partnership with the Government of Nepal, Nepal Red Cr …
Photo: Enia, pictured left, is registered at the first aid distribution following Cyclone Pam. Red Cross was the first organisation sanctioned by the Government of Vanuatu to begin relief distributions after a halt from the government due to an influx …
Photo: Red Cross has been involved in disaster law activities in Lao PDR since 2009 when research was undertaken on legal preparedness for responding to disasters and communicable disease emergencies. Due to an inherent link between climate change and …
At the occasion of the launch of the call for abstracts of Issue no. 3 (2020) of the Yearbook of International Disaster Law published by Brill, the Editors, in cooperation with the American Society of International Law Disaster Law Interest Group and t …
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News archive
Archive of disaster law news stories from our old website.
Related documents
See more at the Disaster law document library
Study of legal frameworks to facilitate and regulate international disaster response in: Union of the Comoros, Mayotte and Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Tanzania.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (‘IFRC’) has been providing technical support to governments on the development of disaster risk management law for over 10 years as part of the overall strategic focus of the Secreta …
National meteorological and hydrological services can contribute to the delivery of key global agendas by developing impact-based forecasting. Impact-based forecasting provides the information needed to act before disasters to minimise the socio-econom …
This year Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies are dealing with the dual risks of COVID-19 and extreme heat, amongst many other compound disasters. For many staff and volunteers, the heat risks may be amplified due to considerations for COVID- …
Document archive
Archive of disaster law publications from our old website. Please bear with us as we bring the documents onto our new platform.
Press releases
