PHASE 5

Existing development policies should form the basis of resilient recovery planning. Building upon the institutional arrangements defined in the pre-disaster phase (e.g. preparedness), the capacities and the institutional framework may need to be further developed and adjusted according to the scale of the extreme weather event and the areas and population affected:

• Pre-existing policies may require rethinking, including land-use zoning and the provision of physical infrastructure, particularly for entire regions that have been devastated and need to be re-planned. Three options exist to create a legal mandate for post-disaster strategic land-use and physical planning: 1) amending existing legislation, 2) introducing new legislation, and 3) creating a mandate through ordinances and government orders (regulation).

• Legislation sets the basis for organizing recovery. Resilient recovery can be sensitive if there is legislative confusion over institutional responsibility. Extreme weather events can heavily impact land use and building codes during the recovery process, as governments can decide to adjust policies to include climate-sensitive actions that affect private sector assets.

• The role of the private sector for resilient recovery: If local and national economies are to grow and be built back better after a disaster, the participation of the private sector in recovery planning and operations is important because it designs and constructs buildings and infrastructure. A formal relationship that links private enterprises to the official response and recovery institutions in the form of public-private partnerships can be beneficial for both actors. Transparent relationships need to be established before disasters strike.

For instance, in drought-prone areas where pastoralists have sold off livestock as a way of coping with the impact of the extreme weather event, recovery programming can help herders to purchase livestock quickly (replacement) so that they are not depleted of their assets and can restart their businesses swiftly. If herders had livestock insurance and received early warnings, the forecast-based payout could enable them to buy fodder before animals die (e.g. Red Cross programme, Bangladesh).