Reflections on a Science and Technology Agenda for 21st Century Disaster Risk Reduction Based on the Scientific Content of the 2016 UNISDR Science and Technology Conference on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–203

The first international conference for the post-2015 United Nations landmark agreements(Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, Sustainable Development Goals, and Paris Agreement on Climate Change) was held in January 2016 to discuss the role of science and technology in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. The UNISDR Science and Technology Conference on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 aimed to discuss and endorse plans that maximize science's contribution to reducing disaster risks and losses in the coming 15 years and bring together the diversity of stakeholders producing and using disaster risk reduction(DRR) science and technology. This article describes the evolution of the role of science and technology in the policy process building up to the Sendai Framework adoption that resulted in an unprecedented emphasis on science in the text agreed on by 187 United Nations member states in March 2015 and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in June 2015. Contributions assembled by the Conference Organizing Committee and teams including the conference concept notes and the conference discussions that involved a broad range of scientists and decision makers are summarized in this article. The conference emphasized how partnerships and networks can advance multidisciplinary research and bring together science, policy, and practice; how disaster risk is understood, and how risks are assessed and early warning systems are designed; what data, standards, and innovative practices would be needed to measure and report on risk reduction; what research and capacity gaps exist and how difficulties in creating and using science for effective DRR can be overcome. The Science and Technology Conference achieved two main outcomes:(1) initiating the UNISDR Science and Technology Partnership for the implementation of the Sendai Framework; and(2) generating discussion and agreement regarding the content and endorsement process of the UNISDR Science and Technology Road Map to 2030.

Mainstreaming Early Warning Systems in Development and Planning Processes: Multilevel Implementation of Sendai Framework in Indus and Sahel

The third UN World Congress on Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Sendai, Japan in March 2015, agreed on a new framework to guide disaster risk reduction policy and practice for the next 15 years. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030(SFDRR) leaves important implementation issues unspecified and potentially creates both problems and opportunities for complex,multilevel governance systems in coping with hazards and disastrous events. Early warning systems(EWS), if built into the mainstream of planning for development and disaster relief and recovery, could present a significant opportunity to realize many SFDRR goals. We explore the complexities of using hydrometeorological EWS to prepare for drought and flood disasters in the densely populated communities of Pakistan’s Indus River Basin in contrast to the African Sahel’s less densely settled grasslands. Multilevel governance systems are often dominated by a topdown, technocentric, centralized management bias and have great difficulty responding to the needs of peripheral and vulnerable populations. People-centered, bottom-up approaches that incorporate disaggregated communities with local knowledge into a balanced, multilevel disaster risk management and governance structure have adramatically better chance of realizing the SFDRR goals for disaster risk reduction.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Persons with Disabilities

In this paper, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030(SFDRR) is evaluated with respect to its ramifications for persons with disabilities. In the SFDRR, persons with disabilities were referenced either directly or indirectly as part of the preamble,the guiding principles, the priorities for action, and the role of stakeholders. In addition, the 2015 World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, during which the SFDRR was adopted, incorporated explicit recommendations toward a disability-accessible and inclusive environment not evident in previous disaster risk reduction conferences. The infusion of disability-related terms and concepts such as accessibility, inclusion, and universal design throughout the SFDRR document was significant. These concepts,which have their origin in disability studies, are used in the SFDRR document to refer to the needs of all in disaster,not only to people with disabilities. These disability-related concepts will now serve the field of disaster risk reduction as important overarching disaster-related principles. The authors conclude that the SFDRR has firmly established people with disabilities and their advocacy organizations as legitimate stakeholders and actors in the design and implementation of international disaster risk reduction policies.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Its Indicators——Where Does Health Fit in?

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 recognizes the strong connection between health and disasters and promotes the concept of health resilience throughout.Several of the seven global targets stated in the Sendai Framework are directly related to health in terms of reducing disaster mortality,the number of affected people,disaster damage to critical infrastructure,and disruption of basic services such as health facilities.The Sendai Framework also maintains close coordination with other United Nations landmark agreements relevant to health such as the Sustainable Development Goals.However,the measurement of healthrelated indicators is challenging.Issues arise,for example,in linking deaths to disasters because of the complex interplay between exposure,risk,vulnerability,and hazards.The lack of a universal classification of disasters also means that recording of health data in disasters is not standardized.Developing the guidelines to enable data onthe indicators to be collected and reported to support the Sendai targets requires detailed thinking,time,and consultation with a diverse range of stakeholders.Strong collaboration and partnership will be vital to achieving success.

Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health-EDRM):Developing the Research Field within the Sendai Framework Paradigm

The intersection of health and disaster risk reduction(DRR) has emerged in recent years as a field of critical inquiry.Health is recognized as an outcome and a goal of DRR,and the integration of both fields is essential to ensure the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management(Health-EDRM) has emerged as an umbrella field that encompasses emergency and disaster medicine,DRR,humanitarian response,community health resilience,and health systems resilience.In September 2016,an international group of experts met in Hong Kong to assess the current status and potential of the Health-EDRM research field,a research area that these scholars characterized as underdeveloped and fragmented.Key challenges identified include research overlap,lack ofstrategic research agenda,absence of consensus regarding terminology,and limited coordination between stakeholders.The Sendai Framework provides a useful paradigm within which to shape the research field's strategic development.The WHO Thematic Platform for Health-EDRM Research Group was established to coordinate activities,promote information-sharing,develop partnerships,and provide technical advice to strengthen the Health-EDRM research field.This group will promote the generation of robust and scientific health research to support the meaningful implementation of the Sendai Framework.

Science and Technology Networks: A Helping Hand to Boost Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030?

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 underlines the importance of Science and Technology(S&T) and S&T networks for effective disaster risk reduction(DRR). The knowledge of existing S&T networks and their exact role in DRR,however, is limited. This opinion piece initiates a discussion on the role of S&T networks in the implementation of the Sendai Framework. The article highlights that current practice is oriented towards a narrative that emphasizes the potential of S&T for DRR and stresses a collaborative approach delivered through networks. But a true understanding of whether and how S&T networks can mobilize and enable S&T for DRR is missing. We call for a review of existing S&T networks for DRR and the development of good practice guidelines on S&T networks for DRR. This review should include knowledge on how to overcome common challenges and maximize the benefits, along with a framework for successful evaluation of such networks.This knowledge would provide much needed guidance for existing and emerging networks.

Five Years Later: Assessing the Implementation of the Four Priorities of the Sendai Framework for Inclusion of People with Disabilities

Efforts to reduce disaster risk around the world should purposefully consider the needs of potentially vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030(SFDRR) is one of the few global disaster-related frameworks with a focus on people with disabilities. The objective of this article is to assess the inclusion of people with disabilities in disaster risk reduction strategies worldwide since the establishment of SFDRR as gleaned from research. Several studies were reviewed to observe how the four priorities were implemented and operationalized in various countries to reduce the risk for people with disabilities. Findings indicate that initial applications of the SFDRR have compelled purposeful actions, but there is still room for improvement regarding people with disabilities. The results conclude that slight variations on the definitions of disaster or disability may increase marginalization. Three key themes emerged:(1) the intersectionality of disability with other dimensions of vulnerability warrants focused consideration;(2) enhanced disaster preparedness requires more attention in order to empower people with disabilities;and(3) negative cultural attitudes need to shift to enable purposeful inclusion of people with disabilities. Additional studies on the global investments made are encouraged to share lessons learned regarding the integration of people with disabilities.

Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management: Five Years into Implementation of the Sendai Framework

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 recognizes health at the heart of disaster risk management(DRM)at the global policy level.Five years on,it has catalyzed the rapid development of the field of Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management(Health EDRM)by providing a mandate for building partnerships as well as enhancing scientific research.Key milestones achieved include publication of the World Health Organization’s Health EDRM Framework,development of the WHO Thematic Platform for Health EDRM and the WHO Health EDRM Research Network,and further application of health information principles to DRM.Furthermore,health actors at all levels have continued to engage in the Sendai Framework processes and have had a key role in its implementation and proposed monitoring.There have been significant gains made through the partnership of health and DRM,but the relationship has not been without its challenges.Many national,regional,and global initiatives continue to operate with a lack of consistency and of linkages to respond to the Sendai Framework’s call for embedding health resilience in DRM,and conversely,embedding DRM in health resilience.Overcoming this hurdle is important,and doing so will be a key marker of success of the next 10 years of partnership under the Sendai Framework.

Global Community of Disaster Risk Reduction Scientists and Decision Makers Endorse a Science and Technology Partnership to Support the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

At the first gathering of its kind on the role of science in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030,over 750 scientists,policymakers,business people,and practitioners met in Geneva from January 27–29,2016.The UNISDR Science and Technology Conference on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 fea-

Human Mobility in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

This article looks at how population movements are addressed by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030(SFDRR), and highlights some of the potential implications of the SFDRR on disaster risk reduction(DRR) and mobility management work. The article looks at the operational implications of the SFDRR text and covers issues of including migrants in DRR work;informing urban development about current and future mobility trends; managing relocations, evacuations, and displacement to prevent future risks and reduce existing ones; and preparing for and managing disaster-induced population movements to reduce the direct and indirect impacts of natural hazards. Overall, the references to human mobility within the SFDRR show an evolution in the way the issue is considered within global policy dialogues. Both the potential of population movements to produce risk and their role in strengthening the resilience of people and communities are now clearly recognized. This is an evolution of previously prevailing views of mobility as the consequence of disasters or as a driver of risk. While some implications of the DRR-mobility nexus might still be missing from DRR policy, population movements are now recognized as a key global risk dynamic.

Implementing the Sendai Framework in Africa: Progress Against the Targets(2015–2018)

Five years after almost all African states signed the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030(SFDRR), disasters still have a significant impact on the populations of Africa, their livelihoods, and the infrastructure on which they depend. In contrast with the period of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015,African countries not only adopted the SFDRR but also internalized the various priorities by developing an additional five targets applicable to the continent. This article takes a look at the progress made in Africa against the SFDRR and its seven targets thus far. To determine the progress, a mixed methods research approach was followed. The research found that African states are making progress, but decisive action is needed to reach the 2030 targets of the SFDRR. Much better data and information management are needed, and the limitations towards reaching the SFDRR targets must translate into community-based actions geared towards resilience building.

Sendai Framework’s Global Targets A and B: Opinions from the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Ignite Stage 2019

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 set seven global targets of which the first two targets are to reduce disaster deaths(target A) and diminish the number of affected people globally(target B)by 2030.To realize these targets,the United Nations General Assembly’s Expert Working Group provided indicators to measure progress as well as terminologies for these targets in 2017.Research around these targets is nascent.This article contributes to the understanding of the targets by exploring:(1) what are the conditions that may hinder achieving targets,as well as those that may accelerate their achievement at the national and local levels;and(2) which types of organizations should lead a country’s effort to reduce disaster deaths?These questions were answered by opinion survey research carried out at the Sixth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.The participants identified disaster risk reduction efforts,early warning systems,awareness,finance and investment(among others) as the important facilitating factors to achieve targets A and B.Minimal investment in human security,lack of response and coordination,uncertainty of climate change,poor information,lack of campaigns and low budget allocation(among others) are considered as the important hindering factors for these targets by the participants.The findings also suggest that the facilitating and hindering variables of targets A and B are interconnected with global target E(disaster risk governance and capacity building).The majority of the participants thought that it is the national government who should lead in a country’s effort to reduce disaster deaths.Based on these findings,a few recommendations have been made to improve policy and practice related to the indicators as well as to reimagine theories so that targets A and B can be realized in alignment with target E at the national and local levels by 2030.

New Sendai Framework Strengthens Focus on Reducing Disaster Risk

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction2015–2030 aims to protect lives,health,livelihoods,ecosystems,cultural heritage,and critical infrastructure from natural and human-caused hazards over the next15 years.It seeks to bring about‘‘the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives,livelihoods and health and in the economic,physical,social,cultural and environmental assets of persons,businesses,communities

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction at Five:Lessons from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030(SFDRR) represents an inclusive approach to disaster risk reduction, linked to development and recovery. Building on previous international guidelines, the SFDRR promotes practical and measurable outcomes for reducing disaster losses, including indicators to measure progress towards seven specific global targets.Evaluated in the context of the priorities and global targets of the SFDRR, the article considers the case of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 to illustrate advances and limitations in pre-disaster tsunami hazard engineering and post-disaster recovery. With respect to the targets set out in the Sendai Framework related to risk reduction and tsunami engineering, especially Priority 1,understanding disaster risk, there have been significant advances in hazard assessment and systems for tsunami detection and warning. Although the SFDRR emphasizes actions in the recovery phase through Priority 4, enhancing disaster preparedness with an emphasis on the concept of build back better, on its own this does not function as a clear directive for guiding recovery. However, the overall people-centered and inclusive approach of the SFDRR, as well as the global targets and several sub-priorities, can be a useful way to shape good practices in recovery and evaluate recovery progress.

What We Measure Matters:The Case of the Missing Development Data in Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction Monitoring

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015−2030’s(SFDRR)framing moved away from disaster risk as a natural phenomenon to the examination of the inequality and injustice at the root of human vulnerability to hazards and disasters.Yet,its achievements have not seriously challenged the long-established capitalist systems of oppression that hinder the development leading to disaster risk creation.This article is an exploratory mapping exercise of and a collective reflection on Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)and SFDRR indicators-and their use in measuring progress towards disaster risk reduction(DRR).We highlight that despite the rhetoric of vulnerability,the measurement of progress towards DRR remains event/hazard-centric.We argue that the measurement of disaster risk could be greatly enhanced by the integration of development data in future iterations of global DRR frameworks for action.

Challenges with Disaster Mortality Data and Measuring Progress Towards the Implementation of the Sendai Framework

Disasters exact a heavy toll globally.However,the degree to which we can accurately quantify their impact,in particular mortality,remains challenging.It is critical to ensure that disaster data reliably reflects the scale,type,and distribution of disaster impacts given the role of data in:(1)risk assessments;(2)developing disaster risk management programs;(3)determining the resources for response to emergencies;(4)the types of action undertaken in planning for prevention and preparedness;and(5)identifying research gaps.The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 s seven global disaster-impact reduction targets represent the first international attempt to systematically measure the effectiveness of disaster-impact reduction as a means of better informing policy with evidence.Target A of the Sendai Framework aims to‘‘substantially reduce global disaster mortality by 2030,aiming to lower the average per 100,000 global mortality rate in the decade 2020–2030 compared to the period 2005–2015.’’This article provides an overview of the complexities associated with defining,reporting,and interpreting disaster mortality data used for gauging success in meeting Target A,acknowledging different challenges for different types of hazard events and subsequent disasters.It concludes with suggestions of how to address these challenges to inform the public health utility of monitoring through the Sendai Framework.

云南省德钦县藏族利用传统知识减少灾害风险研究

传统知识(Traditional Knowledge,TK)是生活在特定环境的人们在长期生产生活中习得并积累的实践经验,世代相传。该文首先系统综述了传统知识减少灾害风险(Disaster Risk Reduction,DRR)的国内外研究现状。基于2003—2022年对云南省德钦县藏族社区的调查,分析当地藏族居民与多方合作并运用传统知识建立减少灾害风险框架。研究采用定量分析、参与调查、半结构式访谈和文献研究等方法研究云南省德钦县藏族社区减少灾害风险行动及其成效,旨在为构建多元减灾体系提供可参考的中国案例。研究结果表明传统知识能有效帮助当地社区应对自然灾害,回应了《仙台框架》关于减少灾害风险的指导。

An international program on Silk Road Disaster Risk Reduction--a Belt and Road initiative (2016-2020)

Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) is a Chinese national strategy which calls for cooperative economic, political and cultural exchange at the global level along the ancient Silk Road. The overwhelming natural hazards located along the belt and road bring great challenges to the success of BRI. In this framework, a 5-year international program was launched to address issues related to hazards assessment and disaster risk reduction(DRR). The first workshop of this program was held in Beijing with international experts from over 15 countries. Risk conditions on Belt and Road Countries(BRCs) have been shared and science and technology advancements on DRR have been disseminated during the workshop. Under this program, six task forces have been setup to carry out collaborative research works and three prioritized study areas have been established. This workshop announced the launching of this program which involved partners from different countries including Pakistan, Nepal, Russia, Italy, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan. The program adopted the objectives of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and United Nation Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and was implemented to assess disaster risk in BRCs and to propose suitable measures for disaster control which can be appropriate both for an individual country and for specific sites. This paper deals with the outcomes of the workshop and points out opportunities for the near future international cooperation on this matter.

Five Years Beyond Sendai——Can We Get Beyond Frameworks?

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030(SFDRR) and its implementation is evaluated after its first five years. A dozen questions that the author and a colleague used in their evaluation of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015(HFA) are repeated. Improvements are noted in relation to possible coherence and alignment with other components of the Post-2015 Agenda, especially as regards climate change and urban disasters as well as the higher visibility of civil society and women, and also regarding the specificity of targets and monitoring of governments’ successes. Nevertheless, the overall conclusion is that both the HFA and the SFDRR fail to deal with root causes of disaster. A new,radically proactive leadership role is suggested for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction in partnership with civil society in identifying and warning all engaged in Post-2015 Agenda activities of possible creation of new risk by agenda implementation activities,especially for the poor and already-marginalized.