Law, disasters and public health emergencies in the Pacific
This snapshot brief describes how the IFRC, capitalizing on its long experience and leadership in disaster laws, supports the Pacific Resilience Partnership Technical Working Group on Risk Governance in a project to research and provide guidance on effective laws for multi hazard preparedness and response in the Pacific.
Underpinning every emergency response operation, whether in response to natural hazards or public health emergencies, is a complex network of laws, regulations and policies which determine when, how and by whom emergency preparedness and response activities can be carried out.
The project will analyze the legislative and policy linkages between disaster and public health emergency responses in the Pacific, at both domestic and regional levels. It will map experiences and best practices arising from responding to natural hazards during the current pandemic, in addition to analyzing policy and practice applied to past public health emergencies in the region. It will provide guidance in relation to the following topics
- Effective laws and institutional frameworks for multi hazard response (natural hazards and health emergencies)
- the role of law in mitigating secondary impacts of public health emergencies, specifically impacts on shelter and housing, human mobility and vulnerable groups.
It is anticipated that initial recommendations from the Pacific and Global projects will be ready by the end of 2020.
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