ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on environmental hazards and governance, specifically disaster risk governance. The chapter starts off by tracing the evolution of disaster risk governance over the last three or so decades, which shapes the disaster risk governance landscape globally, regionally, nationally and locally. The inter-sectoral nature of disaster risk governance is explored, with an elevation on the diverse actors who play different roles and functions in disaster risk governance, such as the state, civil society, private sector, local authorities and communities. Subsequently, the principles of good governance as applied to disaster risk governance are outlined. Principles such as accountability, transparency, participation, predictability, credibility and legitimacy are explored in detail in this chapter. Throughout the chapter, examples of international, regional, national and local cases of different aspects of disaster risk governance are shared. National and regional policies and strategies to implement disaster risk reduction and risk management are also explored and governance challenges are examined, with an emphasis on national, regional and local governance arrangements and the interscale tensions that often result.
