In a significant stride towards bolstering the nation’s resilience against disasters, the Cabinet has recently green-lighted the National Disaster Risk Management Bill. This legislative move, an evolution from the 1998 Natural Disaster Management Act, signifies a paradigm shift in how hazards are approached, now encompassing a broader range of potential threats beyond natural calamities.
Revolutionizing Disaster Legislation
The newly approved Bill emerges from an exhaustive two-decade review of its predecessor, aiming to modernize and expand the legal framework for disaster management in the country. A post-Cabinet statement highlighted a pivotal change: the legislation’s scope now includes biological, environmental, geological or geophysical, and technological hazards, in addition to the traditional focus on hydro meteorological phenomena. This expansion aligns with the global best practices for disaster risk management, adhering to the principles of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Embracing an All-Hazards Approach
The inclusion of a wide array of hazards under the…
