The Sendai Framework: A Global Approach to Reducing Disaster Risks by 2030

Every year, disasters – from earthquakes and floods to industrial accidents – claim thousands of lives and cause billions of dollars in economic damage. Recognising the urgent need for a coordinated global response, the United Nations adopted the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 on March 18, 2015, at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan. This landmark agreement replaced the earlier Hyogo Framework for Action and introduced a more ambitious, action-oriented roadmap aimed at substantially reducing disaster risks and losses worldwide by 2030.

From Hyogo to Sendai: a significant evolution 🔗

The Sendai Framework did not emerge in a vacuum. It is the direct successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, which served as the global blueprint for disaster risk reduction for a decade. While the HFA made important strides – particularly in raising awareness and catalysing national-level disaster risk reduction efforts – it had significant limitations. During its tenure, over 700,000 people died from disasters, and economic losses exceeded USD 1.3 trillion globally.

Key shifts from the Hyogo Framework 🔗

The most fundamental difference between the two frameworks is their focus. The Hyogo Framework concentrated on reducing disaster losses – essentially, minimising the damage after a disaster struck. The Sendai Framework, in contrast, focuses on reducing disaster risk – preventing and minimising the conditions that lead to disasters in the first place. This represents a critical shift from reactive to proactive disaster management.

Additionally, the Sendai Framework broadened its scope considerably. While the HFA primarily dealt with natural hazards, the Sendai Framework covers natural, man-made, technological, and biological hazards. This expanded scope acknowledges that modern disaster risks are increasingly complex and interconnected. The framework also places greater emphasis on implementation mechanisms rather than just identifying priorities, moving from “the what” to “the how” of disaster risk reduction.

Another notable change is the framework’s duration. The HFA was a 10-year plan, while the Sendai Framework spans 15 years, allowing for longer-term planning and more sustained implementation. The Sendai Framework also introduced shared responsibility – recognising that while states have the primary role in reducing disaster risk, local governments, the private sector, civil society, and communities must all contribute.

Alignment with global development agendas 🔗

The Sendai Framework was the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda. It was designed to work in tandem with other landmark 2030 agreements, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the New Urban Agenda, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This alignment ensures that disaster risk reduction is embedded across broader development planning rather than treated as a standalone issue.

The four priorities for action 🔗

At the core of the Sendai Framework are four priorities for action that guide all disaster risk reduction efforts from local to global levels. These priorities represent a logical progression – from understanding risk, to governing it effectively, to investing in solutions, and finally to being prepared for effective response and recovery.

Priority 1: Understanding disaster risk 🔗

Effective disaster risk management starts with a thorough understanding of risk in all its dimensions – vulnerability, exposure, hazard characteristics, and the capacity of people and systems to cope. The framework calls on governments and stakeholders to develop comprehensive risk assessments that go beyond just mapping natural hazards.

This includes investing in data collection and analysis, strengthening scientific research on disaster risks, and making risk information accessible to decision-makers and the public. The idea is straightforward: you cannot reduce what you do not understand. Countries are encouraged to use tools such as hazard mapping, loss databases, and vulnerability assessments to build a complete picture of the risks they face.

Priority 2: Strengthening disaster risk governance 🔗

Understanding risk is only useful if there are strong governance structures in place to act on that knowledge. This priority emphasises the need for clear institutional frameworks, legislation, and policies at all levels of government. Strong political commitment and leadership at the national level are considered essential for effective disaster risk reduction.

The framework calls for cross-sectoral coordination – breaking down silos between departments dealing with health, infrastructure, environment, finance, and urban planning. It also stresses the importance of defining roles and responsibilities clearly, ensuring accountability, and empowering local governments to take ownership of risk reduction in their communities.

Priority 3: Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience 🔗

Public and private investment in disaster prevention and risk reduction is both cost-effective and essential. The Sendai Framework recognises that spending money on prevention today saves significantly more in disaster response and recovery costs tomorrow. This priority encourages investment in both structural measures (such as flood defences, earthquake-resistant buildings, and resilient infrastructure) and non-structural measures (such as land-use planning, building codes, insurance schemes, and social protection programmes).

Such investments are not just about avoiding losses – they can also drive innovation, economic growth, and job creation. The framework urges governments to allocate dedicated budgets for disaster risk reduction and to integrate risk considerations into all public and private investment decisions.

Priority 4: Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” 🔗

Even with the best prevention measures, disasters will still occur. This priority focuses on strengthening preparedness so that when disaster strikes, the response is swift, coordinated, and effective. It includes developing early warning systems, conducting regular drills and simulations, pre-positioning relief supplies, and building the capacity of first responders and communities.

A distinctive concept introduced in this priority is “Build Back Better” – the idea that the recovery and reconstruction phase after a disaster is an opportunity to improve resilience rather than simply restoring the status quo. This means rebuilding infrastructure to higher standards, addressing the root causes of vulnerability, and integrating risk reduction into all recovery planning. The framework emphasises that recovery should be planned and prepared for before a disaster occurs, not improvised afterwards.

Seven global targets for 2030 🔗

To make its goals measurable and accountable, the Sendai Framework established seven global targets that all countries are expected to work toward by 2030. A set of 38 indicators was also developed to track progress against these targets, with data reported by member states through the Sendai Framework Monitor.

Target A: Reduce disaster mortality 🔗

The framework aims to substantially lower the global average of disaster-related deaths per 100,000 people in the period 2020-2030, compared to the baseline period of 2005-2015. This is perhaps the most direct measure of whether disaster risk reduction efforts are saving lives.

Target B: Reduce the number of affected people 🔗

Beyond mortality, the framework targets a significant reduction in the total number of people affected by disasters – including those who are injured, displaced, or have their livelihoods disrupted. The comparison period and methodology mirror those of Target A.

Target C: Reduce direct economic losses 🔗

Disasters impose enormous financial burdens on economies at every scale. This target calls for reducing direct disaster-related economic losses in relation to global GDP by 2030. It pushes governments and the private sector to invest in risk-proofing economies and protecting critical economic assets.

Target D: Reduce damage to critical infrastructure 🔗

Hospitals, schools, power grids, water systems, and transportation networks are vital during and after disasters. This target aims to substantially reduce damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, particularly in the health and education sectors, by improving their resilience.

Target E: Increase national and local DRR strategies 🔗

By 2020, this target called for a substantial increase in the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies. This was one of the framework’s earlier milestones, designed to ensure countries had governance frameworks in place well before the 2030 deadline.

Target F: Enhance international cooperation 🔗

Developing nations often face the most devastating impacts of disasters with the fewest resources. This target calls for substantially enhancing international cooperation through adequate and sustained support to complement national efforts in implementing the framework.

Target G: Expand early warning systems 🔗

The final target focuses on substantially increasing the availability and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information for all people by 2030. Early warning is one of the most effective tools for saving lives, and the UN has since launched the Early Warnings for All initiative to ensure every person on Earth is covered by an early warning system.

Progress at the midpoint: where do we stand? 🔗

In May 2023, the UN convened a High-Level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework in New York. The assessment revealed a mixed picture. On the positive side, there has been notable progress in reducing global disaster mortality, and the number of countries with national disaster risk reduction strategies has increased significantly. Coverage of multi-hazard early warning systems has also more than doubled since 2015.

However, the review also delivered a sobering message. Economic losses from disasters continued to climb, with the annual average direct cost reaching approximately USD 330 billion over the preceding five years. The midterm review report concluded that the international community was not fully on track to achieve the framework’s expected outcomes by 2030, and that the pace of implementation needed to accelerate significantly.

Key challenges identified included inadequate financing for disaster risk reduction, persistent data gaps in many countries, limited inclusivity in risk governance, and a continued tendency to prioritise disaster response over prevention. The review also highlighted the growing complexity of risks due to climate change, biodiversity loss, rapid urbanisation, and socioeconomic inequalities.

The midterm review concluded with a Political Declaration that renewed member states’ commitment to the framework and called for stronger governance, increased investment, better coordination across sectors, and enhanced multilateral cooperation in the remaining years to 2030.

Why the Sendai Framework matters 🔗

The Sendai Framework is more than a policy document – it represents a fundamental shift in how the world thinks about disasters. Instead of treating them as unavoidable acts of nature that can only be responded to, the framework positions disaster risk as something that can – and must – be actively managed, reduced, and prevented.

For countries like India, which faces a wide range of hazards from cyclones and floods to earthquakes and industrial accidents, the framework provides a comprehensive roadmap. India’s National Disaster Management Authority has aligned its policies with the Sendai Framework’s priorities, developing state and district-level disaster management plans and investing in early warning infrastructure.

At its heart, the Sendai Framework recognises that disaster risk reduction is not separate from development – it is essential to it. Every school built to withstand earthquakes, every community trained in flood preparedness, and every early warning system that reaches a vulnerable population is a step toward the framework’s vision: a world where disasters no longer threaten human well-being and the planet’s future.

What do you think? With the Sendai Framework approaching its 2030 deadline and many targets still unmet, what do you believe should be the top priority for governments – investing more in prevention or strengthening disaster response capabilities? And in your own community, how aware are people of the disaster risks they face and the preparedness measures available to them?

References

1. https://www.undrr.org/publication/sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030
2. https://sdgs.un.org/publications/sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030-17988
3. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/sendai-framework-for-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030
4. https://unece.org/environmental-policy/industrial-accidents/sendai-framework
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sendai_Framework_for_Disaster_Risk_Reduction
6. https://sendaiframework-mtr.undrr.org/
7. https://enb.iisd.org/midterm-review-sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction
8. https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/GST/2023-06/A-RES-77-289%20-%20Political%20Declaration%20-%20Midterm%20Review%20Sendai%20Framework.pdf
9. https://council.science/publications/mtr-sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction/