ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the various phases of disaster response and recovery in general terms. It presents a case study on Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008 that explains the particulars associated with the response to the cyclone. In order to more easily enable the allocation of resources and responsibilities, facilitate measurement and otherwise practical concerns, the phases of a disaster are often broken down into preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. Response and recovery elements are often mixed and depend on the disaster’s specific dynamics as well as the social situation affected. The chapter describes how a national government did not always play the robust and central role in disaster response that it should have. It sets out the phases of a disaster response so as to help the reader make sense of the real-world scenario.
