The Sendai Framework, and the International Standard

In one line

The international standard for disaster preparedness is a 2015 United Nations Framework with four priorities and seven global targets, and India's Act acquired its vocabulary in 2025.

In the wording a student can write in an examination: the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 was adopted at the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction at Sendai, Japan, from 14 to 18 March 2015, and was endorsed by the General Assembly by resolution 69/283 of 3 June 2015, the Framework being annex II to that resolution; it succeeds the Hyogo Framework for Action; it applies to the risk of small-scale and large-scale, frequent and infrequent, sudden and slow-onset disasters caused by natural or man-made hazards as well as related environmental, technological and biological hazards and risks; and it sets an expected outcome, a goal, seven global targets, thirteen guiding principles and four priorities for action.

The scope, and why it matters for India

Paragraph 15. The Framework applies to the risk of small-scale and large-scale, frequent and infrequent, sudden and slow-onset disasters caused by natural or man-made hazards, as well as related environmental, technological and biological hazards and risks. It aims to guide the multi-hazard management of disaster risk in development at all levels and within and across all sectors.

Read that against section 2(d) of the Indian Act, which covers natural and man made causes, accident and negligence. The two are close, with three differences worth naming. Sendai expressly includes slow-onset disasters and biological hazards; the Indian definition turns on the coping capacity of the affected community and Sendai does not; and Sendai says nothing about law and order, whereas the Indian Explanation inserted in 2025 excludes it.

The outcome and the goal

The expected outcome, paragraph 16. The substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries.

The goal, paragraph 17. Prevent new and reduce existing disaster risk through the implementation of integrated and inclusive economic, structural, legal, social, health, cultural, educational, environmental, technological, political and institutional measures that prevent and reduce hazard exposure and vulnerability to disaster, increase preparedness for response and recovery, and thus strengthen resilience.

The goal is the sentence to learn, because it contains the whole theory in one line. Prevent new risk and reduce existing risk, by reducing exposure and vulnerability and increasing preparedness, so as to build resilience. Those four words, exposure, vulnerability, preparedness and resilience, are the four the Indian Act imported into section 2 in 2025.

The seven global targets

Paragraph 18 sets seven, and they can be learned as four reductions and three increases.