STEP 3 Policy Adjustment of Existing Legal Frameworks and Strategies
In order to start the response as quickly as possible, policies and strategies against extreme weather events need to be defined prior to the disaster (e.g. in the ‘Preparedness’ phase). After the extreme weather event, they may need to be adjusted according to the actual shock, the areas affected and the economic sectors.
The defined policies show how response can be integrated and combined with resilient recovery and sustainable development, which include a central vision for recovery, defining guiding principles, and setting up appropriate institutional arrangements resulting in a policy framework for resilient recovery
(see Annex 3).
A policy framework for the agricultural sector value chain refers to the integrated DRM and the concept of BBB:
- Agriculture, e.g. sustainable agriculture/climate-smart agriculture, food security policies, livelihood empowerment and/or, for instance, a drought emergency response framework consisting of measures such as a food security monitoring systems for providing early warning information.
- Industry, e.g. green growth, inclusive finance and insurance strategies, and promotion of agricultural-related SMEs developed with the respective line ministries and business associations.
- Environment and climate change, e.g. National Adaptation Plan, the concept of shock-responsive and risk-informed social protection linked to DRM policies (e.g. public works), and environmental policies (e.g. action plans linked to the International Convention to Combat Desertification).
- Research and development, e.g. drought-resistant seeds and new technology for food processing/ transport/energy, etc.
Tools and Guiding Questions
Guiding Questions
Is a disaster recovery framework in place? If so, how does it reflect e.g. ‘build back better’ principles, and pro-poor, gender-sensitive and inclusive DRR approaches?
Is government legislature in place prior to the disaster, setting the new standards for
(e.g. BBB developed in the ‘preparedness’ phase)?
Is a policy framework developed based on consultative processes with all relevant stakeholders and forums for inclusive planning?
Guidelines
EU/UNEP/World Bank/GFDRR (2015): Guide to developing disaster recovery frameworks, Sendai Conference version (contains response and recovery)
UN World Conference on DRR, 14. 18.3.2015, Sendai, Japan, ISSUE BRIEF: Reconstructing after disasters − Build Back Better
Guiding Questions
Is the recovery vision coherent with the government’s broader, longer-term development goals and growth and poverty-reduction strategies?
Do the recovery objectives and policies prioritize sectors for recovery, and define key operating principles and performance benchmarks (definitions of effective, efficient and resilient recovery)?
Guidelines
IFRC (2012): IFRC Recovery programming guidance (contains response and recovery)
and
Expected Outputs When Using the Tools
- The needs assessment and subsequent policy framework increase opportunities to improve people’s capacity and increases the ownership of resilient recovery.
- A policy framework avoids ineffective and time-consuming donor intervention by joint coordination among all stakeholders.
- A strategy plan enables the government to better address longer-term disaster vulnerability through coherent programmes that bridge the current gap between recovery and development.
- Insurance-related outputs (see page ‘Synergies: Insurance and Response’).