Recovery

Gov.uk guidance on emergency response and recovery gives the definition: "Recovery is defined as the process of rebuilding, restoring and rehabilitating the community following an emergency, but it is more than simply the replacement of what has been destroyed and the rehabilitation of those affected." It describes recovery as "a complex and long running process that will involve many more agencies and participants than the response phase", and notes that local communities may treat an emergency as an opportunity to regenerate an area. The chapter covers key principles for planning and undertaking recovery, the processes for managing and co-ordinating the recovery phase, and the transition from response to recovery. Separate national recovery guidance is linked from it.

The Northern Ireland guide to emergency planning arrangements makes the same point from the planner's side. Once the initial response has been made and the source of the incident and its immediate effects dealt with, "the emergency is by no means over". In most instances there will be medium and long-term effects, such as damage to infrastructure, communities and the environment, which need to be addressed in a co-ordinated and sensitive manner. Not all long-term effects are immediately obvious, so monitoring and research may be needed, and the guide says management of the recovery phase is as important as the response.