This report tallies the successes and failures of the recovery effort after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand, with the aim of improving future preparedness and recovery initiatives. It provides a number of policy recommendations for disaster preparedness and post-disaster response. Key recommendations include the need for the government to provide greater regulatory and policy certainty through better pre-disaster contingency planning, clearer cost-sharing arrangements, and equipping a recovery agency with access to necessary “off the shelf” internal control and operational functions. Councils' long-term plans should also include disaster contingencies, including the ability to quickly respond to housing shortages or triggers that automatically amend, suspend or withdraw certain city plans. Central government should also consider mechanisms like the Reserve Bank’s Open Banking Resolution framework for failed insurers. In terms of disaster response, the report includes recommendations on infrastructure rebuilding, the resolution of contractual disputes, and the respect of underlying property rights, with the aim of reducing regulatory uncertainty that could hinder recovery.
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 - 2030: Sendai, 2015
Disaster Recovery Guidance Series: Education Sector Recovery: GFDRR, 2019
Transport Sector Recovery: Opportunities to Build Resilience: GFDRR, IRP 2018
Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Disaster Recovery: GFDRR, IRP 2018
Rebuilding Nepal Three Years On: UNDP, 2018
Flood Risk Management in Dhaka: GFDRR, 2018
Recipe for Disaster: The New Zealand Initiative, 2018
Resilient Water Supply and Sanitation Services: GFDRR, 2018
Build Back Better: UNISDR, 2017
National Post-Disaster Recovery Planning and Coordination: UNDP, 2017
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments: FEMA, USA, 2017
Learning from Disaster Simulations Drills in Japan: The World Bank, 2017
The White Paper on Disaster Management in Japan 2018