United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)

Through versatile advocacy UNISDR mobilizes diverse actors – from heads of state to mayors, parliamentarians, activists, scientists, business managers and journalists – to support disaster risk reduction, the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and related SDGs. As an example UNISDR and partners annually mark the World Tsunami Awareness Day by raising awareness on the risk caused by tsunamis. Incorporating disaster risk reduction education and awareness and effective multi-hazard early warnings into national and local disaster risk reduction strategies will be key to the achievement of the SDGs.

UNISDR makes available appropriate and applicable knowledge, providing policy guidance and tools to countries to support their efforts to reduce disaster risk, contributing to water-related SDGs 6, 11, 13 and 15. Among these tools stands out the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR), a biennial global assessment of disaster risk reduction and a comprehensive review and analysis of the hazards that are affecting humanity. UNISDR explicitly develops the GAR as a research, advocacy and policy engagement initiative in partnership with leading research institutions, national and regional organisations, and UN partners. The wealth of knowledge generated through the GAR and related research will be taken up and used for the development of forward-thinking and strategic policy guidance in relation to key and emerging themes in disaster risk reduction, including climate change and sustainable development, water, ecosystems, gender, urbanisation and others.

The Global Platform and the Regional Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction are the main forums at global and regional level for knowledge and practice sharing, coordination, partnership development, and assessment of progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction taking also into account interlinkages with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These biennial Platforms bring together the world’s foremost gathering of stakeholders committed to reducing risk and building the resilience of communities and nations to disasters. The Global Platform and the Regional Platforms create opportunities for Member States and other stakeholders to exchange lessons learnt and develop policies on water and disaster risk reduction related SDGs, including SDGs 6, 11, 13 and 15.

Recalling Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 targets for 2020 and 2030, one of the areas identified by Member States where technical support is required is in developing the capacity of institutions and professionals dealing with disaster risk reduction and the implementation of the Sendai Framework at the national and local level. Thus, UNISDR, in collaboration with partners, is implementing a long-term disaster risk reduction capacity-building strategy that will provide training and technical assistance to Member States enabling countries to reduce disaster losses and strengthen resilience. Topics might include reporting against the Sendai Framework targets and indicators; links between Sendai Framework targets and SDGs; the development, maintenance and use of disaster loss databases; the use of national risk profiles and risk assessments; monitoring disaster risk trends; and minimum standards for disaster risk reduction plans and strategies. The implementation of the Global Capacity Development Strategy will support Member States to better understand the disasters risk associated to water-related hazards which will enable the development of water-related disasters risk-informed development plans, contributing to SDGs 6, 11, 13, and 15.

The United Nations General Assembly tasked UNISDR in the Sendai Framework with advocating and promoting integration, coherence and synergies across the 2030 Agenda, notably on reducing multi-hazard disaster risk, and with developing a new monitoring system for the Sendai Framework, linked with the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1, 11 and 13) through, for instance, the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. As from 2018, countries are able to report against the Sendai Framework and disaster risk reduction related SDGs targets using the online Sendai Framework Monitor tool developed by UNISDR. Based on the self-assessment reports submitted by countries and regional organizations through the Sendai Monitor, UNISDR will present biannually the “Sendai Framework Progress Report”, which will measure the progress made against the global targets of the Sendai Framework and the relevant targets of the SDGs.
This report will be presented in 2019 as part of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR). A biennial global assessment of disaster risk reduction and a comprehensive review and analysis of the natural hazards that are affecting humanity. The GAR monitores risk patterns and trends and progress in disaster risk reduction while providing strategic policy guidance to countries and the international community, contributing to the implementation of risk-informed development.

UNISDR normative support contributes to the implementation of different water-related SDGs, including SDG 6,11, 13 and 15.
One of the main products of UNISDR work that gives key normative support is the “Sendai Framework Progress Report”, which from 2019 will be presented biannually measuring the progress made against the global targets of the Sendai Framework and the relevant targets of the SDGs (targets of SDGs 1, 11 and 13). The Sendai Framework monitoring will allow Member States to have access to national trends in the reduction of risk and losses of disasters.
UNISDR also provides normative support through the Words into Action (WiA), which are thematic guides for the implementation of the Sendai Framework and the integration of disaster risk management in specific areas. The overall objective of the WiA guides is to help engage the DRR community by facilitating access to concise and practical information that is readily accessible for global, local and in-the-field use. Following editions will support the implementation of SDGs 6, 11, 13 and 15, including an edition on "Water related disasters and transboundary cooperation".