The objectives of the Act are substantial reduction of the overall risks of disasters to an acceptable level with appropriate risk reduction interventions; effective implementation of post disaster emergency response; rehabilitation and recovery measures; provision of emergency humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable community people; strengthening of institutional capacity for effective co-ordination of disaster management involving government and non-government organisations, and establishing a disaster management system capable of dealing with all hazards for the country.
 
The Act is intended to help in promoting a comprehensive disaster management programme upholding the all-hazard, all-risk and all-sector approach where risk reduction as a core element of disaster management has equal emphasis with emergency response management with greater focus on equitable and sustainable development.

​The summary of this document was written by researchers at the Grantham Research Institute for the Climate Change Laws of the World database, available at climate-laws.org