Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

Topic: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management in India · NCERT: Beyond NCERT

Meaning

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) is the current global plan to prevent new disaster risk and reduce existing risk. It was adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction at Sendai, Japan, on 18 March 2015 [1][2][3]. It took over from the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015). It matters because it changed the world's focus from managing disasters (acting after they strike) to managing disaster risk (acting before they strike). India's own disaster plans and its global initiatives, such as CDRI, are built around it.

Explanation

Why it came about: from response to risk

• Disasters cross borders. A big cyclone, tsunami or earthquake can cause more loss than one country can handle.
• Poor countries cannot pay for relief and rebuilding.

• So they need money, technology and experts from other countries.

• Disaster risk reduction (DRR) means cutting the chance of harm before a hazard strikes. It uses planning, safer buildings, early warning and preparing people.

• The global plans developed step by step:
• IDNDR (International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction): declared by UN General Assembly resolution 44/236 (1989). The decade ran 1990-1999 (NCERT: 1990-2000).
• Yokohama Strategy (1994): the first global plan. It still treated disasters mainly as events to respond to.
• ISDR (2000): replaced IDNDR. Its office, UNISDR, is now called UNDRR (UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction). UNDRR looks after the Sendai Framework.
• Hyogo Framework (2005-2015): adopted at Kobe in January 2005, weeks after the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It had 5 priorities and aimed at resilience (the ability to absorb a shock and recover).

• Sendai (2015-2030): adopted when Hyogo ended. Its focus is on managing risk.

• Disaster risk depends on three things: the hazard, who is exposed to it, and how weak they are (their vulnerability).

The four priorities for action [1][2]

No.	Priority	In simple words
1	Understanding disaster risk	Know the hazard, who is exposed and how vulnerable they are
2	Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk	Clear laws, institutions and roles at every level
3	Investing in DRR for resilience	Spend on safer buildings, insurance and protecting ecosystems
4	Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to "Build Back Better" in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction	Be ready to respond, and rebuild stronger than before

• "Build Back Better" means using recovery and rebuilding to make places safer than they were before the disaster.
• Example: a cyclone-hit village gets stronger houses rather than the same weak ones.

The seven global targets (a-g) [2]

• Reduce four things:
• (a) disaster deaths (mortality)
• (b) the number of people affected
• (c) direct economic loss, measured against world GDP

• (d) damage to critical infrastructure (power, roads, telecom) and disruption of basic services such as health and education

• Increase three things:

• (e) the number of countries with national and local DRR strategies. This target had an earlier deadline of 2020 [2].
• (f) international cooperation with developing countries

• (g) access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information. A multi-hazard early warning system (MHEWS) is one system that warns about several hazards, such as cyclone, flood and heatwave, and tells people what to do.

• Timeline: the targets run over 15 years, to 2030. Only target (e) ended earlier, in 2020.

How progress is checked, and its nature

• 38 indicators measure progress on the seven targets.

• Countries report them on the Sendai Framework Monitor [2][4].

• Voluntary and non-binding. Countries are not legally forced to meet the targets. This is unlike the Paris Agreement.

• Part of the "2015 trio":
• Sendai (March 2015)
• the SDGs (September 2015)
• the Paris Agreement (December 2015)
• All three aim to reduce climate and disaster risk, so countries plan for them together.

Where it occurs

• Where adopted: Sendai, Japan, at the Third UN World Conference on DRR, 18 March 2015 [1][2][3]. All three global DRR conferences were held in Japan:
• Yokohama (1994)
• Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture (2005)

• Sendai (2015)

• Who runs it: UNDRR (formerly UNISDR) looks after the framework. Countries report progress on the Sendai Framework Monitor [4].

• Where it applies: all UN member countries, 2015-2030. It gives special attention to developing countries and small island developing States (SIDS).
• Global programmes that serve Sendai:
• UN Early Warnings for All (EW4All), launched in 2022 by the UN Secretary-General. It aims to protect every person on Earth with multi-hazard early warning systems by 2027 [5]. It serves Target (g).
  • In 2025, a record 119 countries (60% of all countries) reported having an MHEWS. That is 113% more than ten years earlier [6].
  • But only 43% of SIDS reported having one (2025) [6].

• CDRI (Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure): launched by India's Prime Minister at the UN Climate Action Summit, New York, September 2019 [7]. Its secretariat is in New Delhi. It serves Target (d).

  • 47 member countries as of October 2024 [8].
  • IRIS (2021) is its programme for small island states.

• In India:

• India's path: relief manuals → Disaster Management Act 2005 → a national plan aligned with Sendai.
• PM's Ten-Point Agenda on DRR: announced at the AMCDRR, New Delhi, November 2016 [10][11].
• G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group (2023): the first G20 working group on DRR, set up under India's presidency. Its five priorities are set within the Sendai Framework [12]. It met at:
  • Gandhinagar (Gujarat)
  • Mumbai (Maharashtra)
  • Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [12][13]
• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and CDRI released a roadmap to make India's telecom network more resilient [9].
• India sent a high-level delegation to the APMCDRR 2024 at Manila, Philippines [8].

Don't confuse with

• Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015): it had 5 priorities and no numbered global targets. It was adopted at Kobe after the 2004 tsunami. Sendai has 4 priorities + 7 targets + 38 indicators.
• Yokohama Strategy (1994): the first global plan, adopted at the halfway point of IDNDR. It was built on principles and a plan of action, with a focus on response and preparedness rather than on managing risk.
• Paris Agreement (December 2015): a legally binding climate treaty. Sendai is a voluntary, non-binding framework on disaster risk, even though both are part of the 2015 trio.
• CDRI and EW4All: these are initiatives that help meet Sendai targets. CDRI (India-led, 2019) serves Target (d), and EW4All (UN, 2022) serves Target (g). Neither is the framework itself.

Prelims Hooks

• Sendai was adopted on 18 March 2015 at Sendai, Japan, at the Third UN World Conference on DRR. It covers 2015-2030 [1][3].
• Order: IDNDR (UNGA res. 44/236, 1989) → Yokohama (1994) → ISDR/UNISDR (2000) → Hyogo (2005) → Sendai (2015). All the conferences were held in Japan.
• Numbers trap: Hyogo = 5 priorities. Sendai = 4 priorities, 7 targets, 38 indicators [2][4].
• Target (e) (national and local DRR strategies) had a 2020 deadline. All the other targets run to 2030 [2].
• Target (g) = multi-hazard early warning, linked to EW4All (universal coverage by 2027) [5]. Target (d) = critical infrastructure, linked to CDRI.
• Sendai is voluntary and non-binding. UNDRR (formerly UNISDR) is the UN body that looks after it.

Mains Points

• From response to risk:
• Yokohama focused on preparedness and response.
• Hyogo focused on building resilience.
• Sendai focuses on managing risk before disaster strikes.

• India followed the same path: relief manuals → DM Act 2005 → a national plan aligned with Sendai. This arc works well in GS-III answers on disaster management.

• Resilient infrastructure is development:

• When a disaster damages power, telecom or transport, hospitals, water supply and businesses also stop working, so the total loss is far greater than the direct damage.
• Examples: telecom outages in coastal Odisha and Andhra Pradesh during cyclones, and floods cutting rail and road links.

• India's leadership through CDRI (an international organisation hosted in New Delhi), the Ten-Point Agenda (2016) and the G20 DRRWG (2023) serves Sendai Target (d) and SDG 9. It also builds India's soft power among SIDS and in the Indian Ocean.

• Gaps in implementation and the way forward:

• Gaps: early warnings do not yet reach everyone (only 43% of SIDS had an MHEWS in 2025 [6]), disaster loss data is weak, and local governments have little capacity.
• Way forward: "last-mile" warnings that reach every village, risk insurance, community-based DRR, and linking DRR with climate adaptation under the 2015 trio.

Related concepts

• International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction
• Yokohama Strategy
• Hyogo Framework for Action
• Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Read more

• Disaster risk reduction worldwide: IDNDR to Sendai and CDRI