SENDAI FRAMEWORK

1. Context

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday informed that the 6th World Congress on Disaster Management will be held from November 28 to December 1 in Dehradun at the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority. The event is organised jointly by the Hyderabad and Uttarakhand State Council of Science and Technology.

2. What is a Disaster?

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) (2009) defines a disaster as: “A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.”

As per the Disaster Management Act 2005, “Disaster” means a catastrophe, mishap, calamity, or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or manmadẹ causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area. UNISDR considers disaster to be a result of the combination of many factors such as

• exposure to hazards;
• conditions of vulnerability that are present, and
• insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences.

3. What is Disaster Management?

According to the Disaster Management Act 2005, disaster management can be defined as an integrated process of planning, coordinating, organizing, and implementing measures that are necessary for

• Rehabilitation and reconstruction
• Prompt response to any threatening disaster
• Mitigation of any disaster or its consequences
• Preparedness to deal with any disaster
• Evacuation, rescue, and relief of the survivors
• Capacity building
• Assessing the severity of the after-effects of any disaster

4. Types of Disaster Management

• Natural Disaster Management: Natural disasters are those which occur naturally due to a difference in the climate or the concerned body (water/earth). The natural disaster caused may be a result of steady or rapid disturbances in nature that have an impact on livelihood. These disasters can be harmful to both life and property. Earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, epidemics, and wildlife fires are some common examples of natural disasters.
• A Man-Made Disaster: As the name suggests, man-made disasters are caused by the disturbances created by some notorious elements in society, or they can be to meet the lifestyle requirements of humans, which results in environmental degradation. Bomb blasts, biological weapons, deforestation, Pollution, accidents (rope-way, passenger bus), etc, are some of the man-made disasters to human lives.

5. Sendai Framework

• The Sendai Framework works hand in hand with the other 2030 Agenda agreements, including The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, The Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the New Urban Agenda, and ultimately the Sustainable Development Goals.
• It was endorsed by the UN General Assembly following the 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), and advocates for 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, and countries.
• It recognizes that the State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk but that responsibility should be shared with other stakeholders including local government, the private sector, and other stakeholders.

Image Source: UNDRR 

6. Priorities of Sendai Framework

• Priority 1. Understanding disaster risk: Disaster risk management should be based on an understanding of disaster risk in all its dimensions of vulnerability, capacity, exposure of persons and assets, hazard characteristics, and the environment. Such knowledge can be used for risk assessment, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response.
• Priority 2. Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk: Disaster risk governance at the national, regional, and global levels is very important for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation. It fosters collaboration and partnership.
• Priority 3. Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience: Public and private investment in disaster risk prevention and reduction through structural and non-structural measures are essential to enhance the economic, social, health, and cultural resilience of persons, communities, countries, and their assets, as well as the environment.
• Priority 4. Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction: The growth of disaster risk means there is a need to strengthen disaster preparedness for response, take action in anticipation of events, and ensure capacities are in place for effective response and recovery at all levels. The recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction phase is a critical opportunity to build back better, including through integrating disaster risk reduction into development measures.

7. Targets and Indicators

• The Sendai Framework focuses on the adoption of measures that address the three dimensions of disaster risk (exposure to hazards, vulnerability and capacity, and hazard’s characteristics) in order to prevent the creation of new risks, reduce existing risk and increase resilience.
• The Sendai Framework outlines seven global targets to guide and against which to assess progress.
• The Sendai Framework Monitor is an online tool that captures self-reported (by member states) progress data against a set of 38 Sendai Framework indicators toward the seven Sendai Framework global targets.
• The indicators measure progress and determine global trends in the reduction of risk and losses.

8. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

• National Disaster Response Force is a specialized force constituted by the Indian government to deal with natural disasters and emergencies. It is a paramilitary organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was raised in 2006 following the devastating tsunami that hit India’s coastal areas. The primary objective of NDRF is to provide a timely, adequate, and effective response to disasters and emergencies.
• NDRF is equipped with specialized rescue equipment and has a well-trained team of personnel who are capable of dealing with any type of emergency. The force is also responsible for providing humanitarian assistance during disasters.

9. Roles and Responsibilities of NDRF

 The roles and responsibilities of the National Disaster Response Force include:

• Providing a timely and effective response to disasters and emergencies
• Carrying out rescue operations
• Providing humanitarian assistance during disasters
• Undertaking relief and rehabilitation measures in coordination with other agencies.

10. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

• NDMA is India’s apex statutory body for disaster management.
• NDMA was formally constituted on 27th September 2006, by the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• The Prime Minister is its chairperson and it has nine other members. One of the nine members is designated as Vice-Chairperson.
• Disaster Management Act also envisaged the creation of State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Ministers and the District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMA) headed by the District Collectors/ District Magistrate and co-chaired by Chairpersons of the local bodies.
• The primary responsibility for the management of disaster rests with the State Government concerned. However, the National Policy on Disaster Management puts in place an enabling environment for all i.e., the Centre, state, and district.
• Aim: to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to Disaster Management in India. To build a safer and disaster-resilient India through a holistic, pro-active, technology-driven, and sustainable development strategy that involves all stakeholders and fosters a culture of prevention, preparedness, and mitigation.