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For many countries across Asia and the Pacific, economic migration, rapid urbanization and increasing severity and incidence of disasters has created significant challenges when it comes to disaster management in urban environments.

When Typhoon Haiyan tore across the south east region of the Philippines, its devastating effects were unprecedented and widespread.

Laws are a vital ingredient in the drive to make aid delivery quicker and more effective during disasters. 

On December 4, 2012, Typhoon Bopha descended in full force upon the Philippines, hitting the southern part of Mindanao Island and claiming the lives of over 1,000 people.

On 26 June 2012, the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) convened a national workshop in Manila in conjunction with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), to discuss how to to improve legal preparedness for international disaster cooperation in the Philippines.

A  two-day forum on 'Legal Preparedness for International Disaster Response in Philippines' was held in Manila on 17th and 18th of May co-hosted  by the Philippine Red Cross and Department of National Defence. A wide range of government departments participated in the forum, together with a number of UN Agencies.

Responding to calls for reform arising form the recent experience of Tropical Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng, which affected thousands of people in the Philippines, the Philippines legislature has approved a bill to create a new “Act Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System”. Final enactment of the bill currently awaits the President’s signature. We spoke to Catherine Martin, Director of Disaster Management Services at the Philippine Red Cross about her impressions of the new legislation.

As Typhoon Fengshen recently demonstrated, the Philippines remains prone to major disasters. For this reason, the Government has been updating its procedures for facilitating international assistance.

Following an agreement with Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Agency, (NDMA), the Pakistan Red Crescent Society and IFRC have initiated a project aimed at assisting the authorities to develop national guidelines for facilitating and regulating international disaster assistance.

Nepal has been struck by two major earthquake and countless aftershocks leaving destruction and despair throughout the country.