Insights from the Frontlines of Disaster Risk: Ten Key Recommendations by Experts from South Asia on the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

The document outlines ten key recommendations from South Asian experts for the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, focusing on community monitoring, peer reviews, climate-compatible management, and the inclusion of marginalized groups.

• Experts recommend that the Post-2015 Framework mandate a structured dialogue process where community groups are formally consulted and contribute to national progress reports, noting that the Zero Draft's 'role of stakeholders' section lacks mention of vulnerable communities.
• While supporting voluntary peer reviews, experts suggest that the framework should emphasize reviews between sub-national entities (states, provinces, or counties) and potentially between cities or provinces of different countries to increase objectivity, while acknowledging that geopolitical tensions make some pairings, such as India and Pakistan, impossible.
• The document argues for 'climate compatible disaster risk management,' specifically that disaster response and recovery activities should be designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.
• To integrate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), experts suggest that national climate agencies include these linkages in their charters and that regional bodies like the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) facilitate the sharing of best practices.
• Due to high population density and rapid urbanization in South Asia, experts urge the framework to give more visibility to the risks associated with the settlement of 'environmental buffer zones' (such as flood plains) and the vulnerability of those living in informal settlements.
• Experts call for the explicit inclusion of groups marginalized by religion and culture, such as lower caste communities in India and Nepal, and recommend gathering disaggregated vulnerability data and placing marginalized individuals in DRR leadership positions.
• The briefing emphasizes the need for 'knowledge and data management' over just generating new data, arguing that risk management knowledge must be 'demystified' and 'democratised' so it can be used by policy makers and vulnerable communities who act as first responders.
• Recommendations for leadership include a distinction between strategic national leadership and implementation-focused local leadership, as well as a requirement for leaders to have technical understanding of disaster risk management to prevent institutional knowledge loss during frequent political transfers.
• Experts argue that the framework should explicitly urge governments to mainstream DRR into domestic national budgets rather than relying on international funding, citing the potential for using funds from programs like India's Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
• The document suggests that the framework should encourage the use of Local Financial Institutions (LFIs), such as microfinance institutions in Bangladesh or self-help group lending in India, as untapped sources of finance for local resilience.

APA

Bahadur, A. V., Kirbyshire, A., Kakakhel, K., & Bhat, M. (n.d.). Insights from the Frontlines of Disaster Risk: Ten Key Recommendations by Experts from South Asia on the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/South-Asia-Expert-Views-on-2015-Disasters-Agreement1.pdf

Chicago

Bahadur, Aditya V., Amy Kirbyshire, Kashmala Kakakhel, and Mihir Bhat. Insights from the Frontlines of Disaster Risk: Ten Key Recommendations by Experts from South Asia on the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/South-Asia-Expert-Views-on-2015-Disasters-Agreement1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bahadur |first1=Aditya V. |last2=Kirbyshire |first2=Amy |last3=Kakakhel |first3=Kashmala |last4=Bhat |first4=Mihir |title=Insights from the Frontlines of Disaster Risk: Ten Key Recommendations by Experts from South Asia on the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/South-Asia-Expert-Views-on-2015-Disasters-Agreement1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bahadurndinsights, author = {Bahadur, Aditya V. and Kirbyshire, Amy and Kakakhel, Kashmala and Bhat, Mihir}, title = {{Insights from the Frontlines of Disaster Risk: Ten Key Recommendations by Experts from South Asia on the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/South-Asia-Expert-Views-on-2015-Disasters-Agreement1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }