The GLAR grouping is delighted to announce the publication of the Research Handbook on Disasters and International Law (Edward Elgar, 2016). This handbook is edited by GLAR’s own Professor Susan C. Breau and Dr Katja L.H. Samuel, and features chapter contributions from a number of other staff in GLAR, as well as other colleagues at Reading and numerous other experts from around the world.

International law’s role in governing disasters is undergoing a formative period in its development and reach, in parallel with concerted efforts by the international community to respond more effectively to the increasing number and intensity of disasters across the world. This Research Handbook examines a broad range of legal regimes directly and indirectly relevant to disaster prevention, mitigation and reconstruction across a spectrum of natural and manmade disasters, including armed conflict.

The book is a major contribution to the burgeoning field of law and disasters, and forms a key part of GLAR’s ongoing work on this topic.