Disaster risk management in the SDG era

Abstract

Frequent natural disasters severely impact poorer sections of the population and exacerbate socio-economic vulnerabilities, and reversing development gains. Progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is challenged in many countries by losses from disasters triggered by natural hazards. Even in regions where a comparatively smaller number of disasters have occurred, the economic impact has been significant. Countries with medium to low levels of income and weaker governance have been particularly vulnerable. Reducing disaster risk is therefore critical to poverty reduction and sustainable development. Drawing on the evaluations of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at the global and national level carried out by the Independent Evaluation Office of UNDP, this chapter revisits the disaster risk reduction efforts, progress and challenges since the adoption of the SDGs and Sendai Framework and discusses UNDP’s contributions at the national level. The chapter examines integrated approaches to addressing disaster risk and vulnerability reduction in development programming. The chapter draws on the country programme evaluations as well as the conclusions and lessons based on the global “Evaluation of UNDP Support to Poverty Reduction in the Least Developed Countries” and “Evaluation of UNDP Contribution to Disaster Prevention and Recovery.” These evaluations paid particular attention to the challenges posed by climate change in increasing natural hazards and the need for a more coordinated approach to adaptation. The chapter discusses how national governments and the international community have attempted to respond to these challenges. The findings section analyses UNDP’s contribution to disaster risk reduction, enabling linkages to poverty reduction and climate change adaptation, and addressing multiple crises. The last section presents conclusions and selected recommendations that are relevant to other agencies and governments working in the area.