UNDRR Focus areas: disaster risk reduction in action

UNDRR Focus areas
UNDRR's activities put the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in action.

The interactions between climate change trends, ecosystem fragility, disease outbreaks, rapid unplanned urbanization, mass displacement and geopolitical instability, fuelled by the interconnectivity of communications, trade, financial systems and politics, mean that shocks, stresses, and crises reverberate globally.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world what the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 is all about: risk is systemic, interconnected and cascading. Climate change is driving increased risk across all countries, and unpredictable hazards can have devastating cascading impacts on all sectors, with long-lasting, debilitating socio-economic and environmental consequences.

As UN Member States move forward with Agenda 2030, more focused, accelerated action is required to help countries identify and analyse the broad range of risks they face, put in place appropriate measures to mitigate existing risks and to prevent the creation of new risks.

Reducing existing risk, preventing the creation of new risk and building resilience take a whole-of-society approach. And they all take committed leadership and governance. 

UNDRR thematic work on DRR

In addition to our programmatic and coordinating work, UNDRR's disaster risk efforts are cross-cutting across many themes.

Child leaps over a drain in a camp in Bangladesh
Humanitarian action
Priority 4 of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction highlights the need to “link … relief, rehabilitation and development, [and to] use opportunities during the recovery phase to develop capacities that reduce disaster risk in the short, medium and long term.”
Child Hands Giving Small Plant Shutterstock-yoydesign
Climate action and disaster risk reduction
Findings from the recent 6th IPCC Assessment Report point to an urgent need to accelerate action to avert climate related disaster risks, through fast-tracked implementation of the Sendai Framework.
Gold money coin with trading graph, financial investment concept can use as background
Financing prevention
Investing in disaster risk reduction is a precondition for effective disaster risk governance that is prepared to tackle the systemic nature of risk.  Governments need to invest in and prioritize prevention and resilience. As the reality of climate impacts hit, we need to assure to decrease losses.
Inclusion
Inclusion
Disasters do discriminate. They tend to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, especially the poorest. This is why the Sendai Framework calls for an all-of-society engagement and partnership.
Portrait of two diligent kids looking at camera at workplace.
Children and youth
Empowering young people is the world’s best chance of building resilient communities as they comprise the largest and most interconnected generation in history.
Gender responsive DRR Hero image
Gender inequality
Gender inequality, coupled with the climate and environment crises, is the greatest sustainable development challenge of the present time.
People boating on lakes harvest water lilies, the people of this region used water lilies do as a vegetable dish
Nature for resilience
Nature is an important ally in building resilience. But we still see a world that sacrifices Nature for short-term gains over long-term sustainability and resilience. 
car under water
Water risks and resilience
Whether it’s too much or too little water, nine out of ten disasters triggered by natural hazards during the last decade were water related.
Four women walking along the rice terraces in MuCangChai, Vietnam
Urban resilience
Everyone should have a future where they are not threatened by disasters - local governments are on the front line of efforts towards this goal.
Risk informed SDGs
Disaster risk and the SDGs
Disasters threaten to steal away precious development gains and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Aerial view, Almaty, Kazakhstan
DRR in landlocked developing countries (LLDCs)
Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) face unique challenges due to their lack of territorial access to the sea and geographical remoteness, which also increases their vulnerability to the impacts of disasters
DRR in LLDC Thumb
DRR in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
As many least developed countries (LDCs) face an increasingly complex risk landscape, the impacts of disasters continue to undermine hard-won progress towards sustainable development.
Video poster
Risk governance
Disasters are not natural. What turns a hazard into a disaster is the consequence of human decisions: where and how we build, how we access and share resources, how we protect and restore healthy ecosystems.
Building Risk Knowledge - 3
Building risk knowledge
To counteract risk, we need a true picture of the risk we face. UNDRR collects and analyses risk data through a range of tools.
Flood Early Warning System (EWS) installed in Kampung Warna Warni Jodipan, located beside Brantas River, Indonesia
Early warnings for all (EW4All)
Advances in early warning systems and preparedness have saved tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars.
Concept of colourful speech bubbles
Risk communication
Risk communication is integral to disaster risk reduction. Failing to communicate about risk effectively – indeed, failing to communicate at all – can fuel rumour, erode trust, hamper solutions, and even increase risk.

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