This Act, comprising 24 sections, introduces comprehensive amendments to strengthen the national disaster risk management framework. It updates key definitions, restructures institutional arrangements by establishing the National Disaster Risk Management Division within the Office of the Vice-President as the central coordinating body, and defines its responsibilities for disaster prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, rehabilitation, risk assessment, early warning, public awareness, and coordination of stakeholders. The amendments also establish and clarify the roles of the National Disaster Risk Management Council and the National Disaster Risk Management Technical Committee, assigning them responsibilities for policy formulation, strategic direction, resource mobilisation, approval of national plans, coordination of disaster management activities, oversight of implementation, management of disaster funds, and development of early warning systems and communication strategies. Additionally, the amendments strengthen monitoring and evaluation mechanisms by requiring the Division to oversee disaster risk management plans, business continuity plans, and related initiatives to improve national resilience and preparedness.
The amendments to Part III establish Provincial Disaster Risk Management Committees in each province as sub-committees of the Provincial Development Coordinating Committee, strengthening provincial disaster risk management coordination. They also provide for the appointment of Provincial Disaster Risk Management Coordinators to provide technical support to Provincial, District, and Satellite Disaster Risk Management Committees. The amendments to Part IV enhance district-level disaster governance by establishing District Disaster Risk Management Committees as sub-committees of District Development Coordinating Committees. They revise committee membership to include key government, parliamentary, civil society, community, religious, and private sector stakeholders, designate District Disaster Risk Management Coordinators as committee secretaries, strengthen coordination with relevant institutions, and align emergency procurement procedures with the Public Procurement Act, 2020. The amendments to Part VII modernise the national disaster planning framework by strengthening the role of the National Disaster Risk Management Division in preparing, coordinating, and implementing national disaster risk management plans. They require sector-specific plans to be integrated into the national plan, empower the Division to coordinate responses when sector capacities are overwhelmed, incorporate minimum humanitarian relief requirements, and update terminology to reflect the shift from disaster management to disaster risk management.