International Human Rights Law (IHRL) in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Planning

Abstract

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is comparatively a new approach to dealing with disasters that aims at preventing new and reducing existing disaster risk and managing residual risk for strengthening disaster resilience by involving a broad range of stakeholders, both public and private across the full cycle of disasters. The efficiency of a DRR planning depends on the proper functioning of these stakeholders (both actors and beneficiaries). Beneficiaries need to be capable of asking for their entitlements, whereas the actors need to be answerable for their performance. This ultimately requires empowerment of the beneficiaries and accountability of the actors. Although DRR instruments contain provisions for encouraging participation of beneficiaries and guidelines for actors, these lag behind in ensuring empowerment of the beneficiaries and accountability of the actors. On the other hand, disasters whether natural or man-made affect the enjoyment of a range of human rights of the affected population. This matter is evident from a number of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) cases admitted in numerous instruments of IHRL. However, DRR discipline fails to provide provisions for protecting human rights in disaster situation. In such a backdrop, this chapter recommends the application of IHRL in DRR planning and shows how IHRL can contribute to better DRR planning. The chapter found that the use of IHRL can assist in empowering the beneficiaries and ensuring the accountability of the actors, thereby resulting in an effective DRR planning. In addition, such integration of IHRL in DRR planning would safeguard the enjoyment of human rights of all concerned in a disaster setting.