This century's major disasters from Hurricane Katrina and the Fukushima nuclear meltdown to devastating Nepalese earthquakes and the recent crippling volcanic eruptions and tsunamis in Tonga have repeatedly taught that government institutions are ill-prepared for major disaster events, leaving the most vulnerable among us unprotected. These tragedies represent just the beginning of a new era of disaster ¿ an era of floods, heatwaves, droughts, and pandemics fueled by climate change. Laws and government institutions have struggled to adapt to the scope of the challenge; old models of risk no longer apply. This Handbook provides timely guidance, taking stock of the field of disaster law and policy as it has developed since Hurricane Katrina. Experts from a wide range of academic and practical backgrounds address the root causes of disaster vulnerability and offer solutions to build more resilient communities to ensure that no one is left behind.

Part I. Critical Perspectives on the Evolution of Disaster Law and Policy: 1. Catastrophe is not the end but the beginning Donovan Finn; 2. The flood: Political economy and disaster Mari Matsuda; Part II. Effective Governance as an Imperative for Responsive Disaster Law and Policy: 3. Governance structures for recovery and resilience Susan L. Cutter; 4. Governance strategies for mitigating urban heat island effect Dawid Sze¿ci¿o; 5. Regulatory institutional challenges to prevent mining dam disasters in Brazil Patricia Sampaio and Rômulo Sampaio; 6. Integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change Livhuwani David Nemakonde and Dewald van Niekerk; 7. Climate resilience in the greater bay area of South China Maria Francesch-Huidobro; 8. An adaptive legal framework for water security concerns in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao greater bay area Ping Yu Fan and Kwok Pan Chun; Part III. Law's Role in Promoting Hazard Mitigation: Intergovernmental, International, National, and Local Approaches: 9. Local resilience, land use law, and disaster planning John R. Nolon; 10. Financing city resilience Arthur C. Nelson; 11. Disaster, land use, and European Union law Juli Ponce; 12. Covid-19 and cooperation in times of disaster Matiangai Sirleaf; 13. Disaster recovery in rural communities Ann M. Eisenberg; 14. Wildfire federalism Stephen R. Miller; 15. A comparative review of hazard-prone housing acquisition laws, policies, and programs in the United States and Aotearoa New Zealand Gavin Smith and Wendy Saunders; 16. Urban transformation as a resilience strategy Asli Ceylan Oner and Haluk Özener; 17. How green cities prevent disasters? Wellington Migliari; 18. Constructing a resilient energy supply Shelley Welton; 19. Building a resilient power grid Robert R. M. Verchick; 20. Weaponizing private property and the chilling effect of regulatory takings jurisprudence in combating global warming Danaya C. Wright; Part IV. Private Sector Initiatives to Promote Disaster Resilience and Recovery: 21. Averting disasters through watershed policy advocacy Chinkie Peliño-Golle and Florence Chio Baula; 22. Insuring natural catastrophes in America Christopher French; 23. Corporate compliance and climate change Susan S. Kuo and Benjamin Means; Part V. Lawyers as Disaster Law and Policy Leaders: Training for Students and Guidance for Practitioners: 24. Creating blueprints for law school responses to natural disasters Jeffrey R. Baker, Christine E. Cerniglia, Davida Finger, Luz Herrera, and JoNel Newman; 25. Law and lawyers in disaster response Clifford J. Villa; Part VI. Cultural Heritage Protection and Cross-Disciplinary Opportunities for Advancing Disaster Law and Policy: 26. Scheduled monuments and sites at risk of coastal erosion Pernille Denise Frederiksen and Marianne Lindegaard Rasmussen; 27. Heritage-related disaster policy in the United States Sara C. Bronin; 28. Love for heritage in the time of Covid-19 Jack Tsen-Ta Lee; 29. Reflections on urban cultural heritage, public health, and public participation Ryan Rowberry; Part VII. Disasters and Vulnerable Communities: 30. After the storm Brie Sherwin; 31. Social construction of disaster survivors and displaced populations Alka Sapat, Arjola Belilaq, and Ann-Margaret Esnard; 32. From Covid-19 to climate change Cinnamon P. Carlarne; 33. Disasters and disability Lance Gable.