This Disaster Management Reference Handbook is intended to provide decision makers, planners, responders and disaster management practitioners with an overview of the disaster management structure, policies, laws, and plans for each country covered in the series. Natural and man-made threats most likely to affect the country are discussed.
The handbook also provides basic country background information, including cultural, demographic, geographic, infrastructure, and other relevant data. Conditions such as poverty, water and sanitation, vulnerable groups, and other humanitarian issues are included. A basic overview of the health situation in the country and disease surveillance is also covered. The handbook includes information on key national entities involved in disaster management, disaster response and preparation, and the military’s role in disaster relief. Information on UN agencies, international NGOs, major local NGOs, and key U.S. agencies and programs in the country, are also provided.
The overall aim is to offer a guide that brings together important information about disaster management and response for each country in an effort to provide a basic understanding for the reader. Information in the handbook is compiled and based primarily on trusted, reliable, publicly available sources. Much of the information used is from U.S. or other government sources, United Nation sources, NGO websites, scholarly references, foreign government websites, and various media sources.
