Ambitious and coherent? Reviewing the pre-zero draft of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

A briefing by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) reviewing the pre-zero draft of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (HFA2). The authors identify several structural and conceptual deficiencies in the draft, urging the co-chairs to increase ambition and coherence before the zero-draft is produced in October 2014.

• The pre-zero draft of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (HFA2) is praised for its commitment to concrete, quantified disaster reduction targets, an improved system for monitoring progress, and a more inclusive set of principles regarding vulnerable groups and ecosystem services. However, the authors argue it suffers from "significant structural and conceptual deficiencies".
• The authors recommend a fundamental restructuring of the framework's logic. They find the current relationship between the five targets, three goals, and four 'priorities for action' unclear. They suggest that goals should serve as the main organising logic and that the framework should aim to "strengthen disaster resilience for sustainable development" by focusing on minimising risk creation, reducing existing risk, and managing residual risk.
• The briefing identifies a critical lack of integration with climate change agendas. Specifically, it notes the absence of detail on how the DRR framework and climate change agreements can mutually support each other, the omission of the IPCC SREX (2012) report's findings on how climate change alters extremes, and the lack of a statement regarding the 2°C limit to avoid dangerous impacts.
• The draft is described as weak regarding financing, conflict, and the role of vulnerable people. The authors state that the discussion on finance is "very weak" and needs better alignment with the SDGs and climate change finance. They also argue that fragile and conflict affected states (FCAS) should be treated as "special cases" using conflict-sensitive approaches, and that the document lacks detail on how social and cultural dimensions of DRR will be promoted and accounted for.
• The authors suggest that the framework should not be open-ended but instead be limited to a timeline ending in 2030 to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), citing the rapid shifts in the nature and geography of disaster risk.

APA

Mitchell, T., Lovell, E., Le Masson, V., Kirbyshire, A., Kakakhel, K., Tanner, T., Peters, K., Wilkinson, E., Bahadur, A., Carabine, E., Jones, L., & Caulkins, J. (n.d.). Ambitious and coherent? Reviewing the pre-zero draft of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/story/review-hfa2-prezerodraft

Chicago

Mitchell, Tom, Emma Lovell, Virginie Le Masson, Amy Kirbyshire, Kashmala Kakakhel, Thomas Tanner, Katie Peters, et al. Ambitious and coherent? Reviewing the pre-zero draft of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. https://cdkn.org/story/review-hfa2-prezerodraft.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{mitchellndambitious, author = {Mitchell, Tom and Lovell, Emma and Le Masson, Virginie and Kirbyshire, Amy and Kakakhel, Kashmala and Tanner, Thomas and Peters, Katie and Wilkinson, Emily and Bahadur, Aditya and Carabine, Elizabeth and Jones, Lindsey and Caulkins, Julie}, title = {{Ambitious and coherent? Reviewing the pre-zero draft of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {https://cdkn.org/story/review-hfa2-prezerodraft}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }