Asian Legal Framework of Disaster Management -the Possibility to Create An Effective Regional Cooperation Form
- Paper ID
20472
- author
- company
Institute of Air and Space Law, University of Cologne
- country
Germany
- year
2014
- abstract
The international Charter on Space and Major Disaster (hereafter “Disaster Charter”) is an extensive international cooperation amongst satellite operators to provide access to critical space assets to communities worldwide that are afflicted by natural or man-made disasters. After it entered into force with two signatures, up to date, more than 20 space agencies are as members, which include Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO); Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA); China National Space Administration (CNSA) and Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The Disaster Charter has already provided a platform to Asian space faring nations to cooperate with each other in disaster management field. However, it seems to be that in the field of space-based disaster management support, the activity is still in the stage of voluntary action by space agencies as demonstration efforts. In this context, some author declares that the Disaster Charter can be effective in the true sense only if well-maintained and speedy channels are present at the regional level. The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) was established in Kobe, Hyogo prefecture, in 1998, with mission to enhance disaster resilience of the member countries, to build safe communities, and to create a society where sustainable development is possible. With 30 members that include the four space faring nations referred above, this center has contributed much to disaster management in Asia or even Pacific-Rim. But it has the same disadvantage with the international legal framework, means it is also a system that depends mostly on members’ voluntary actions. So if the idea of regional level’s implementation of Disaster Charter was accepted, at least in Asia, the situation shall be improved. From the legal perspective, the flexible nature of ADRC has to be changed step by step, in this process, the functions of national space legislation should not be ignored. And its harmonization with Disaster Charter need also to be considered.