What does it take to mainstream disaster risk management in key sectors?

The guide argues that effective mainstreaming of disaster risk management (DRM) requires a supportive policy environment, strong leadership, risk knowledge, consistent financing, and innovation. It identifies key barriers, such as the compartmentalisation of DRM, climate change, and development into separate policy streams, and the lack of technical capacity for risk assessment. The document proposes solutions including strategic inter-ministerial coordination, the use of 'data-light' risk assessment methods, and the creation of political incentives by demonstrating the economic returns of risk-informed investments. It emphasizes that mainstreaming is a political process requiring inclusive partnerships and the navigation of vested interests to protect development gains from climate-related disasters.

• Mainstreaming DRM is hindered by the compartmentalisation of disaster risk, climate change planning, and sectoral development into separate policy streams, which limits the pooling of expertise and leads to disjointed implementation.
• Governments often prioritise short-term investments over long-term DRM and climate adaptation due to short political cycles and a lack of evidence regarding the costs of short-term decisions.
• Financing for DRM remains low and is often segregated from climate change and development funding, with most disaster aid diverted toward relief and reconstruction rather than risk reduction.
• The private sector is responsible for 70% to 85% of worldwide investment in new buildings and infrastructure, yet its engagement in DRM is limited by high upfront costs and a focus on short-term business needs.
• Innovation in DRM is a complex political process rather than a purely technocratic one, as it can upset entrenched interests and powerful political actors.
• Effective leadership is critical for mainstreaming, but it is often constrained by a lack of institutionalised knowledge, capacity gaps among sectoral staff, and the risk of disrupting existing political arrangements.
• Demonstrating short-term economic benefits of risk-informed decisions can create political momentum for long-term DRM investments, as seen in housing projects in Da Nang, Vietnam.

APA

Bahadur, A., Kirbyshire, A., Khan, D., & Bhatt, M. (2014). What does it take to mainstream disaster risk management in key sectors? Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Guide_Mainstreaming_dr_management_final_rev_web-res.pdf

Chicago

Bahadur, Aditya, Amy Kirbyshire, Dina Khan, and Mihir Bhatt. What does it take to mainstream disaster risk management in key sectors? Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Guide_Mainstreaming_dr_management_final_rev_web-res.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bahadur |first1=Aditya |last2=Kirbyshire |first2=Amy |last3=Khan |first3=Dina |last4=Bhatt |first4=Mihir |title=What does it take to mainstream disaster risk management in key sectors? |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=April 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Guide_Mainstreaming_dr_management_final_rev_web-res.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bahadur2014what, author = {Bahadur, Aditya and Kirbyshire, Amy and Khan, Dina and Bhatt, Mihir}, title = {{What does it take to mainstream disaster risk management in key sectors?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Guide_Mainstreaming_dr_management_final_rev_web-res.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }