Global integration

As the world becomes more integrated and interconnected, some organizations, such as the United Nations, create documents with broad application. Since 2015 the UN has operated under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These are a set of goals that all UN activities aim to achieve by 2030. The SDGs build on the previous 15 year document, the Millennium Development Goals. In both documents, the goals are to improve livelihoods, health, freedoms, and global environmental sustainability.

Studying and preparing for natural disasters is within the purview of both the SDGs and the MDGs because disasters are deadly. The global framework for studying natural hazards and disasters is now the Sendai Framework.  The following description of the Sendai Framework comes largely from the South African Development Community.

Sendai Framework

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 was adopted at the Third United Nations World Conference in Sendai, Japan, on March 18, 2015. It is the result of stakeholder consultations launched in March 2012 and intergovernmental negotiations from July 2014 to March. 2015, supported by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction at the request of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Sendai Framework is the successor instrument to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015: Strengthening the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters.

The Sendai Framework introduces a number of innovations, such as a strong emphasis on disaster risk management as opposed to disaster management and significantly broadening the scope of disaster risk reduction to focus on on both natural and man-made hazards and related environmental, technological and biological hazards and risks. In addition, health resilience is strongly encouraged everywhere.

The implementation of the Sendai Framework is overseen by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction ( UNDRR ) with the definition of a specific monitoring structure ( Sendai Framework Monitoring ) to measure progress and determine global trends in risk and loss reduction.

The following summarizes the main topics contained in the Sendai Framework:

• Scope
• Targets
• Priorities for action
• Guiding principles

Scope

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 applies to the risk of small and large-scale, frequent and infrequent, sudden and slow-onset disasters, caused by natural or man-made hazards as well as as related environmental, technological and biological hazards and risks. It aims to guide multi-risk disaster risk management in development at all levels as well as within and across sectors.

The expected outcome of the Sendai Framework is the substantial reduction in disaster risk and loss of lives, livelihoods and health and economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of people, businesses, communities and countries.

The objective of the Sendai Framework is to prevent and reduce emerging disaster risks by implementing integrated and inclusive economic, structural, legal, social, health, cultural, educational, environmental, technological, political and institutional measures that prevent and reduce exposure to risks. and vulnerability to disasters, increase preparedness for response and recovery, and thus strengthen resilience.

Targets

The Sendai Framework defined 7 targets:

•  Significantly reduce global mortality from disasters by 2030, with the aim of lowering the average mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants in the 2020-2030 decade compared to the period 2005-2015
• Significantly reduce the number of people affected globally by 2030, with the aim of reducing the average global figure per 100,000 population in the 2020-2030 decade compared to the period 2005-2015
• Reduce direct disaster-related economic losses relative to global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030
• Significantly reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, including health and education facilities, including by building their resilience by 2030
• Significantly increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020
• Significantly strengthen international cooperation in developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions for the implementation of this framework by 2030
• Significantly increase the availability and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments for populations by 2030

Priorities for action

The Sendai Framework identified the need for targeted action in 4 priority areas:

• Priority 1 : Understanding disaster risks.
• Priority 2 : Strengthen disaster risk governance to manage disaster risks.
• Priority 3 : Invest in disaster risk reduction for resilience.
• Priority 4 : Improve disaster preparedness for effective response and to “build back better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Guiding principles

Drawing on the principles set out in the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World: Guidelines for the Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation of Natural Disasters and its Plan of Action ( A/CONF.172/9, chap. I , resolution 1, annex I ) [see related documents links and downloads at the bottom of the page] and the Hyogo Framework for Action, the implementation of the Sendai Framework should be guided by the following 13 principles while taking into account national circumstances and in accordance with national laws as well as international obligations and commitments:

• The primary responsibility of States to prevent and reduce disaster risks, in particular through cooperation;
• Responsibility shared between central government and national authorities, sectors and stakeholders, depending on national circumstances;
• Protection of people and their property while promoting and protecting all human rights, including the right to development;
• Commitment of the whole society;
• Full commitment of all state institutions of an executive and legislative nature at the national and local levels;
• Empowering local authorities and communities with resources, incentives and decision-making responsibilities where appropriate;
• Decision-making should be inclusive and risk-informed while using a multi-risk approach;
• The coherence of policies, plans, practices and mechanisms for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development, in different sectors;
• Taking into account local and specific characteristics of disaster risks when determining risk reduction measures;
• Addressing underlying risk factors cost-effectively through investments versus relying primarily on disaster response and recovery;
• “Build back better” to prevent the creation and reduce existing disaster risks;
• The quality of global partnership and international cooperation to be effective, meaningful and robust;
•  Support from developed countries and partners to developing countries must be adapted according to the needs and priorities identified by them.