Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, 2017

Chapter - 1
Preliminary

1. Short Title and Commencement: (1) This Act may be called the "Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, 2074."

(2) This Act shall come into force immediately. 2. Definitions: Unless the subject or context otherwise requires, in this Act,-

(a) "Chief Executive" means the Chief Executive of the Authority.

(b) "Executive Committee" means the Executive Committee constituted pursuant to Section 6.

(c) "Fund" means the Disaster Management Fund pursuant to Section 22.

(d) "Non-natural Disaster" means a disaster arising from epidemics, famine, fire, insect or micro-organism terror, flu in animals and birds, pandemic flu, snakebite, animal terror, mining, air, road, water or industrial accidents, fire, toxic gas, chemical or radiation leakage, gas explosion, consumption of toxic food, environmental pollution, deforestation or damage to physical structures, accidents during disaster rescue operations, or any other non-natural disaster of a similar nature.

(e) "District Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee" means the District Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee constituted pursuant to Section 16.

(f) "Prescribed" or "as prescribed" means prescribed or as prescribed in the rules framed under this Act.

(g) "Council" means the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management constituted pursuant to Section 3.

(ja) Amended by Some Nepal Acts Amendment Act, 2075. "Province Disaster Management Executive Committee" means the Province Disaster Management Executive Committee constituted pursuant to Section 14.Amended by Some Nepal Acts Amendment Act, 2075.

(jha) "Natural Disaster" means any disaster arising from snowfall, hail, avalanche, glacial lake outburst flood, excessive rainfall, drought, flood, landslide and landslip, inundation, draught, storm, gale wind, cold wave, heat wave, lightning, earthquake, volcanic eruption, wildfire, or any other natural disaster of a similar nature.

(nya) "Authority" means the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority constituted pursuant to Section 10.

(ta) "Ministry" means the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of Nepal.

(tha) "Disaster" means a natural or non-natural disaster that creates an emergency situation in a place, causing loss of life or property, and adversely affecting livelihood and the environment.

(da) "Disaster Search and Rescue Team" means a specialized search and rescue team activated for search and rescue during a disaster or prepared for deployment for disaster management, and also includes trained humanitarian aid workers.

(dha) "Disaster Risk Reduction" means activities related to pre-disaster risk analysis and assessment, disaster prevention or mitigation of damage caused by disaster, and reducing disaster risk in development works.

(na) "Disaster Recovery" means activities related to reconstruction and rehabilitation after a disaster event.

(ta) "Disaster Response" means activities related to immediate search, rescue and relief as soon as a disaster event occurs, and also includes pre-disaster preparedness for disaster response.

(tha) "Disaster Management" means all activities related to disaster risk reduction, disaster response and disaster recovery.

(da) "Commercial Establishment" means commercial establishments as prescribed, such as industries, factories, cinema halls, shopping malls, multi-purpose commercial buildings.

(dha) "Public Entity" means a government body, an entity wholly or partly owned by the government, an organized institution established under prevailing law, or all types of health and educational institutions.

(na) "Security Body" means the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepal, National Investigation Department, and Provincial Police.

(pa) "Local Level" means a Rural Municipality, Municipality, and District Assembly.

(pha) "Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee" means the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee constituted pursuant to Section 17.