Disaster Governance (BIT487CO)
Digital governance models for disaster risk reduction — knowledge repositories, Sendai Framework, disaster mitigation planning, and emergency response mobilization.
Unit 1: Overview of Digital Governance in Disaster Management5 hrs
- Definitions and conceptual foundations of disaster governance
- Electronic and digital governance models applied to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
- Institutional mechanisms: role of central, provincial, and local governments in emergency governance
- Public-private partnerships and civic society involvement in disaster resilience
Unit 2: Knowledge Management in Digital Governance5 hrs
- Knowledge management definitions, cycles, and organizational memory in disaster contexts
- Establishing disaster knowledge repositories and open data portals (e.g. Nepal DRR portal)
- Information sharing protocols, taxonomies, and cross-agency data standardisation
- Lessons-learned mechanisms and post-incident review knowledge transfer
Unit 3: Overview of Disasters & Sendai Framework6 hrs
- Disaster taxonomy: natural, technological, and complex humanitarian emergencies
- The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030): four priorities for action and global targets
- Hyogo Framework for Action review and progress transition
- Aligning national disaster policies with the Sendai Framework
Unit 4: Disaster Governance Effectiveness and SDGs5 hrs
- Metrics and indicators for evaluating disaster governance effectiveness
- Interlinkages between Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Governance challenges: political will, bureaucratic coordination, resource constraints, and corruption risks in relief funding
Unit 5: Governance in Disaster Mitigation6 hrs
- Legal and regulatory frameworks for hazard mitigation (building codes, land-use zoning)
- Critical infrastructure protection policies and structural resilience regulations
- Enforcing disaster safety compliance across private and public sectors
- Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into national economic and development planning
Unit 6: Governance in Disaster Preparedness6 hrs
- National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management (NSDRM) of Nepal and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act 2017
- Early warning governance: institutional command, alert dissemination, and SOP protocols
- Evacuation planning, emergency stockpiling, and institutional readiness audits
- Civil society, community, and volunteer mobilization governance
Unit 7: Governance in Disaster Response6 hrs
- Command and control governance during emergency operations
- Multi-agency coordination: military, police, civil administration, Red Cross, and NGOs
- Emergency resource deployment, supply chain oversight, and customs facilitation for international humanitarian aid
- Public emergency communications, media briefings, and citizen transparency during crises
Unit 8: Governance in Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction6 hrs
- Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) governance and reconstruction authorities (e.g. National Reconstruction Authority - NRA Nepal)
- Build Back Better principles in physical reconstruction and livelihood restoration
- Accountability, financial auditing, and anti-corruption safeguards in recovery grants and reconstruction funds
- Restoring critical governmental IT infrastructure and public service continuity
Reference books
- Subramanian, R., Disaster Management, Vikas Publishing House, India.
- Bumgarner, Jeffrey B., Emergency Management: A Reference Handbook, ABC-CLIO.
- Cahill, Kevin M., More with Less: Disasters in an Era of Diminishing Resources, Fordham University Press.
- Birkland, Thomas A., Lessons of Disaster: Policy Change after Catastrophic Events, Georgetown University Press.
- Government of Nepal, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act, 2017.