The role of government in disaster recovery is to provide funding and special legal conditions (such as tax relief for disaster victims); promote disaster preparation and mitigation through regulation and government programs; and oversee the recovery process at all levels of government, as well as the private sector and charitable organizations, to ensure a unified vision guiding the process. Unlike the private sector, which needs to show profits or achieve demonstrable results in a small time window, governments have a large tax base from which to operate long-term programs such as early warning systems or seismic research. Government also sponsors research, which advances disaster management and relevant technologies.

The federal government can expedite recovery activities through formal cooperation mechanisms and decision-making processes. The issuance of permits, ...