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Super Typhoon Indira tore through northern Malaysia last week wreaking havoc across the country.

IDRL will soon be taught as part of the Disaster Management curriculum for an “Executive Diploma in Humanitarian Affairs” course offered jointly by the Malaysian Red Crescent Institute and Harun M. Hashim Law Centre of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). 

Arifin M. Hadi is the Head of the Disaster Management Division of the Indonesian Red Cross Society (PMI). In this interview, he commented on the progress of disaster law in Indonesia and described the role of PMI in advocating for solid solutions.

While international and regional rules and procedures are important for a well- regulated international response to disasters, it is national law and regulations that often make the difference between a smooth and chaotic operation.

This month, the Lao PDR National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) together with the UN’s Inter-Agency Standing Committee Country Team organised a high-level meeting in Vientiane to discuss priorities for disaster management risk reduction and the development of a Comprehensive Disaster Management Plan.

The 11th of March 2012 marked the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan, leaving 20,000 people dead or missing.

There is a dizzying array of international and bilateral legal instruments addressing nuclear power – ranging from the siting of nuclear installations to safety and early notification of accidents.

The 17th century English poet John Donne wrote that “no man is an island, entire of itself.”

Indonesia is a true exemplar when it comes to having a comprehensive legal system for disaster risk management (DRM). Having learnt from first-hand experience and many disaster operations, national authorities have continued to ensure the country is well-prepared to face the inevitability of future disasters.

The Indonesian Red Cross Society (Palang Merah Indonesia, or PMI) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched the first formal impact study of a national legal framework for the management of international disaster assistance based on the Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance (IDRL Guidelines).