ABSTRACT
The manifestations of nature are boundless—what nurtures life and beauty, is perhaps the greatest source of destruction as well, when it unleashes its wrath in the form of natural disasters. The evolution of the human race, particularly progress in science and technology has resulted in frequent occurrences of natural as well as ‘man-made’ disasters-ranging from a disaster affecting smaller regions to a global pandemic. It is now more than ever that the concept of ‘disaster management’ has assumed significance worldwide owing to the global pandemic of COVID-19. It is the need of the hour to formulate advanced policies and adopt best practices to reduce the risk of disasters, and the best possible way to reduce such risks is to ensure effective integration of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) policies with available cutting-edge technology in the field of disaster management. Many nations have accordingly formulated disaster management acts for effective management of disasters in their countries, Indian Government enacted Disaster Management Act, 2005 for the same. India is one of the ten most disaster-prone countries in the world. Due to its vast territory, large population and adverse geo-climatic conditions, environmental degradation, and non-scientific development practices, it is frequently exposed to nature as well as man-made disasters. Disaster Management (DM) Act, 2005 caused a paradigm shift in the conventional regime of disaster management and ushered in a new approach for effective disaster management. This act proved to be a distinct move from the earlier approach of post-disaster relief to pre-disaster preparedness, mitigation, and risk reduction. It is an important watershed in the evolution of a legal framework for disaster management in India. Amidst of COVID-19 pandemic, the need to review this act in its technofinancial aspect becomes more significant. This study will critically analyze the DM act and will put forward its merits and shortcomings in the techno-financial aspect. This study will critically analyze the effectiveness of the DM act in terms of managing disasters in the country. Also, the study will refer to some best practices of Disaster Management Acts around the globe and propose future strategies for the effective management of disasters.
