Abstract

Local government can play an important role in disaster risk reduction (DRR). However, to understand this potential and why it is often not achieved, one must first be clear about the forms and characteristics of local government. A common definition of local government is state administration at a level that is closest to the population within its area of jurisdiction. This very simple description masks the diversity and complexity of local government across the globe. Ask anyone about their local government and they are very likely to describe political and administrative functions that both represent and manage their local area, and which is the first point of contact with government. Everyone will have some idea of their local government and its area of operation or spatial scale, and what it can do or its powers.