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

This briefing examines the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 through the lens of adaptive governance. It argues that the Framework's emphasis on multi-level collaboration, learning, and innovation provides a catalyst for transforming disaster risk reduction (DRR), while identifying significant institutional, financial, and political challenges to its implementation.

• The Sendai Framework aims for a substantial reduction in disaster risks and losses across lives, health, livelihoods, and various assets (economic, physical, social, cultural, and environmental). It emphasizes broad collaboration involving governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders, moving beyond the traditional disaster risk reduction community.
• Adaptive governance is presented as a mechanism to handle the complexity and uncertainty of social-ecological systems. It is characterized by four key elements: polycentric and multi-layered institutions, participation and collaboration, self-organization and networks, and learning and innovation.
• The Sendai Framework aligns with adaptive governance principles by promoting 'all-of-society engagement and partnership' and utilizing iterative, context-specific problem-solving. It encourages the use of disaster risk modelling to address system complexity and incorporates the 'build back better' concept to treat recovery as a learning opportunity.
• Implementing the Sendai Framework through adaptive governance faces several operational and financial hurdles. These include increased transaction costs for maintaining multi-layered networks, the lack of a dedicated funding mechanism, and the difficulty of coordinating organizations with different mandates and operational approaches.
• Political and social power dynamics pose significant risks to the Framework's success. The document notes that autocratic governance systems may feel threatened by the required inclusion, and existing elites may exploit self-organization processes for their own interests. Furthermore, the shift toward shared power may be resisted by policy-makers who prefer to maintain hegemony.
• There are substantial barriers to applying the Framework at local and sub-national levels. These include the use of technical language that is difficult for non-experts to understand, language barriers (as the Framework is not available in all local languages), and the lack of a clear definition for what constitutes the 'local' level across different national governance systems.

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} }