Children Law And Disasters

This book is a critical analysis of several of the most disaster-prone regions in Asia. Its unique focus is on the legal issues in the phase of disaster recovery, the most lengthy and difficult stage of disaster response that follows the conclusion of initial emergency stage of humanitarian aid. In the stage of disaster recovery, the law decides the fate of reconstruction for the individual houses and livelihoods of the disaster-affected people and sets the limit of governmental support for them during the lengthy period of suspension of normal living until full recovery is obtained. Researchers who were participant-observers in the difficult recovery phase after the mega-disasters in Asia analyse the reality of the functions of law which often hinder, rather than foster, efforts to restore disaster victims’ lives. The book collects research conducted with an emphasis on empirical approaches to legal sociology, including direct interviews with people affected by the disaster. It offers a holistic approach beyond the traditional sectionalism of legal studies by starting with a historical review and incorporating both spheres of public law and private law, in order to obtain a new perspective that can concurrently achieve disaster risk reductions and human-centered recoveries. With particular emphasis on the unexplored area of law in the post-disaster recovery phase, this book will attract the attention of students and scholars of disaster studies, legal studies, Asian studies, as well as those who work in the practice of disaster management.

International law’s role in governing disasters is undergoing a formative period in its development and reach, in parallel with concerted efforts by the international community to respond more effectively to the increasing number and intensity of disasters across the world. This Research Handbook examines a broad range of legal regimes directly and indirectly relevant to disaster prevention, mitigation and reconstruction across a spectrum of natural and manmade disasters, including armed conflict.

Introduction / Susan C. Breau and Katja L.H. Samuel -- Global capitalism and the crisis of the public interest - sleepwalking into diaster / Christopher Newdick -- Closing 'the yawning gap'? International disaster response law at fifteen / Kiresten Nakjavani Bookmiller -- Responses by states / Susan C. Breau -- Human rights and natural disasters / Kristian Cedervall Lauta -- Adverse human agency and disasters : a role for international criminal law? / Evelyne Schmid -- The international humanitarian law framework for humanitarian relief during armed conflicts and complex emergencies / Tilman Rodenhäuser and Gilles Giacca -- Disasters, international environmetal law and the Antropocene / Tim Stephens -- Sustainable development and disasters / Tahmina Karimova -- Disasters and international trade and investment law - the state's regulatory autonomy between risk protection and exception justification / Leïla Choukroune -- Responses by private corporations / Stefano Silingardi -- An evolving role for law and policy in addressing food security before, during and after a disaster / Anastasia Telesetsky -- Security implications of conflicts, crises and disasters in the international energy industry : legal and policy considerations / Tade Oyewunmi -- Water security / Ha Le Phan and Inga T. Winkler -- Tackling water contamination : development, human rights and disaster risk reduction / Marie Aronsson-Storrier and Haythem Salama -- The International law of wildfires / Michael Eburn -- Displacement in the context of disasters and adverse effects of climate change / Walter Kälin and Hannah Entwisle Chapuisat -- The protection of vulnerable groups / Mary Crock -- Disasters causd in cyberspace / James A. Green -- National contingency planning / Simon Whitbourn -- A duty of solidarity? The International law commission's draft articles and the right to offer assistance in disasters / Therese O'Donnell and Craig Allan -- Building resilience in post-conflict disaster contexts : children and transitional justice / Alison Bisset -- Dispute settlement in the aftermath of disasters / Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne

Each year, disasters such as house fires, car accidents, tsunamis, earthquakes, and hurricanes impact hundreds of thousands of children. Child victims can suffer disproportionately and the physical and psychological damage sustained can far outweigh the same effects in adults, often requiring years of therapy. Sadly, emergency planners to date have largely failed to adequately recognize and accommodate the particular requirements of children in times of disaster. Identify Needs Highlighting the infrastructure that supports children in a safe and secure community, Managing Children in Disasters begins by identifying the special needs of children, including physical security, emotional stability, family unity, and ongoing education. It looks at how hazard mitigation actions can reduce the long- term impact of a disaster on this infrastructure, and outlines the many steps that can be taken by parents, emergency managers, school officials, and child care providers to prepare for a future incident. Target Resources The book reviews what agencies and organizations can do to ensure that children are protected and families remain intact. It examines evacuation plans and processes, emergency shelters, and the recovery and rebuilding process. The final chapter provides a list of resources in emergency planning, psychosocial recovery, training and education courses, technical assistance, and other organizations. It includes examples of existing programs, reports, sample plans, and guides written for children. Offering guidance for the family and community, this book discusses the types of efforts that can be undertaken in all phases of emergency management including preparation, immediate response, and recovery.

Disasters impose enormous misery on children, the most vulnerable members of the community. Records show that two million children have died as a direct consequence of armed conflict over the past decade. Globally, millions more have suffered death, disease, and dislocation as a result of such natural disasters as earthquakes, droughts, and floods. And even when emergency relief is available, permanent human damage remains; all too often, families fall apart, women are assaulted and degraded, and children are left to take care of themselves. In November 2008, the Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters at the University of Massachusetts Boston, USA, hosted an international conference to examine how to reconstruct sustainable communities that would be safe and secure for children and their families after disasters. This volume collects some of the papers that were presented at the conference. It is remarkable for the sheer assortment of topics covered. These include the role of gender equality in alleviating poverty and assisting children, their families and their communities after disasters; war and child soldiers; lessons from Hurricane Katrina and the Tsunami; the nature of psychosocial resilience and its significance for managing mass emergencies, disasters and terrorism; and, the promotion of human dignity in the creation of sustainable environments that empower families in the aftermath of disasters.

Unaccompanied children in emergencies :

As the world dies, a woman must choose between her own survival and that of humankind. Raised in a privileged community of wealthy survivalists on an idyllic, self-sustaining Oregon ranch, Marlo has always been insulated. The outside world, which the ranchers call "the Disaster," is a casualty of ravaging climate change, a troubled landscape on the brink of catastrophe. For as long as Marlo can remember, the unknown that lies beyond the borders of her utopia has been a curious obsession. But just as she plans her escape into the chaos of the real world, a charismatic new resident gives her a compelling reason to stay. And, soon enough, a reason to doubt--and to fear--his intentions. Now, feeling more and more trapped in a paradise that's become a prison, Marlo has a choice: stay in the only home she's ever known--or break away, taking its secrets of survival with her. Set in a chillingly possible, very near future, Disaster's Children is a provocative debut novel about holding on to what we know and letting go of it for the unknown and the unknowable.