The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) defines recovery as:
'the restoring or improving of livelihoods and health, as well as economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets, systems and activities, of a disaster-affected community or society, aligning with the principles of sustainable development and "build back better", to avoid or reduce future disaster risk.'
The recovery phase encompasses considerations for the built environment, the social environment, the natural environment and the economic environment.
The recovery phase of the Continuum (p. 10) comprises early recovery and longer-term recovery. The coordination arrangements in this Framework span near-term preparedness, response, relief and early recovery.
- Early recovery refers to temporary, near-term measures that support anticipated community needs, such as transitional shelter, services and supplies. During early recovery, the restoration of critical infrastructure would also be underway. This may occur alongside operational response and relief efforts.
- Longer-term recovery refers to the transition from the temporary measures established during early recovery to more permanent, ongoing arrangements that reflect and support community priorities. This may include the reconstruction of the built environment, and the restoration of community connections, relationships, networks and social structures.
States and territories are responsible for crisis management at the jurisdictional level, including recovery. The Australian Government provides financial assistance to states and territories for eligible recovery activities through programs such as the DRFA.18
Successful recovery relies on:
- understanding the context
- recognising complexity
- enabling community-led approaches
- ensuring coordination of all activities
- employing effective communication
- acknowledging and building capacity for future resilience.
Recovery planning
All national plans under the Framework are required to address early recovery considerations to ensure the Australian Government is prepared from the onset of crisis to support early recovery.19
The Crisis Recovery Coordination Plan supports Australian Government agencies to plan for recovery.
Longer-term recovery
As the Australian Government changes its focus from early recovery to longer-term recovery, more enduring arrangements may be required to support ongoing coordination of Australian Government activities, programs and strategic policy. Following a significant crisis, this may require establishment of special purpose or temporary mechanisms to coordinate the implementation of policy and programs by Australian, state and territory governments. The roles and responsibilities of government agencies and officials supporting recovery should be defined within those mechanisms.