The Sendai Framework: A catalyst for the transformation of disaster risk reduction through adaptive governance?

The document argues that the Sendai Framework's emphasis on multi-level collaboration, learning, and innovation aligns with adaptive governance, which can help manage the complexity of social-ecological systems. While the Framework provides a window for transformative change, its implementation faces hurdles including high operational costs, power imbalances, and the lack of a dedicated funding mechanism.

• The Sendai Framework aligns with four key characteristics of adaptive governance: polycentric and multi-layered institutions, participation and collaboration, self-organization and networks, and learning and innovation.
• Adaptive governance can transform disaster risk reduction (DRR) by enabling stakeholders to manage the uncertainty of social-ecological systems and integrating diverse knowledge types, including traditional ecological knowledge.
• The 'build back better' concept in the Sendai Framework exemplifies adaptive governance by using post-disaster recovery as an opportunity to incorporate innovations and learn from past mistakes.
• Implementing an adaptive governance approach may increase short-term operational and transaction costs, particularly for developing countries and non-state actors who lack predictable revenue streams.
• A significant barrier to the Sendai Framework's success is the absence of a dedicated funding mechanism, which could be mitigated by creating a joint DRR fund to streamline existing mechanisms.
• Power dynamics and social stratification pose risks to adaptive governance, as elites may exploit the system or policy-makers may resist sharing power with at-risk communities.
• The technical language of the Sendai Framework and language barriers (specifically English) may hinder the application of adaptive governance at the local, household, and community levels.

APA

Munene, M. B., Swartling, Å. G., & Thomalla, F. (2016). The Sendai Framework: A catalyst for the transformation of disaster risk reduction through adaptive governance? Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2016-Sendai-Framework-adaptive-governance.pdf

Chicago

Munene, Martin Brown, Åsa Gerger Swartling, and Frank Thomalla. The Sendai Framework: A catalyst for the transformation of disaster risk reduction through adaptive governance? Stockholm Environment Institute, 2016. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2016-Sendai-Framework-adaptive-governance.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Munene |first1=Martin Brown |last2=Swartling |first2=Åsa Gerger |last3=Thomalla |first3=Frank |title=The Sendai Framework: A catalyst for the transformation of disaster risk reduction through adaptive governance? |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2016-Sendai-Framework-adaptive-governance.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{munene2016sendai, author = {Munene, Martin Brown and Swartling, Åsa Gerger and Thomalla, Frank}, title = {{The Sendai Framework: A catalyst for the transformation of disaster risk reduction through adaptive governance?}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2016-Sendai-Framework-adaptive-governance.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }