Author Description

"This introduction provides an overview of the disaster law and policy topics explored in the chapters that follow. Before sharing that overview, there are a few threshold questions to consider. What does the word "disaster" mean? What concerns are reasonably encompassed by the field of disaster law and policy? And where might disaster law and policy be headed in its evolution as a field of practice and study? The answer to each of these questions is malleable, and the developing and dynamic nature of disaster law and policy is reflected in the contributions the chapter authors have made to this volume. The Handbook's foreword and thirty-three chapters highlight a range of ongoing efforts to advance international, national, and local responses to disasters as well as plans to prepare for them. We offer here brief initial thoughts on three foundational considerations"--