DISASTER REHABILITATION AND RECOVERY

is one of the four thematic areas of the disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM)
system. It entails the restoration, reconstruction, and implementation of development
measures that will enable affected localities and communities to return to normalcy and build
resiliency from the impact of future disasters.

Disaster rehabilitation and recovery can simply be described as all activities done after
the disaster to improve the situation of the communities, reduce disaster risk, and prevent
disasters from happening again.

Recovery decision-makers, planners, and implementers face an immense task in

assessing, strategizing, and delivering services to affected communities. Resources have to be
prepared so they can be effectively tapped when the need arises. Hence, pre-disaster recovery
planning should be conducted by national, regional, and local disaster risk reduction and
management councils (DRRMCs). At the minimum, pre-disaster recovery activities should
include the preparation of science-based scenarios, risk assessments, baseline information,
recovery strategies, and sources of financing recovery.

POST-DISASTER NEEDS ASSESSMENT (PDNA)

is an internationally accepted methodology for determining the physical damages, economic

losses, and costs of meeting recovery needs after a natural disaster through a government-led process.
Moreover, the PDNA is a mechanism for joint assessment and recovery planning following a disaster.
Through this mechanism, the parties involved seek to assess the impact of a disaster and define a
strategy for recovery, including the estimation of financial resources required.

Lastly, both government and non- government organizations are involved in PDNA. Moreover,
PDNA is undertaken in collaboration with international organizations such as the United Nations
Development Programmed as PDNA is an internationally- recognized methodology. A post-disaster
assessment should be consistently followed by a disaster recovery framework that sets out the
institutional arrangements, policies, financing mechanisms, and opportunities for accelerated
implementation of a reconstruction program