Sendai Framework Monitor

Sendai Framework Monitor
Name	Sendai Framework Monitor
Established	2015
Governing body	United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

Sendai Framework Monitor The Sendai Framework Monitor is an online reporting and data platform created to track progress on the global disaster risk reduction agreement known as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. It supports national, regional, and global reporting on disaster losses and risk reduction by connecting statistics, policy actions, and indicators across international organizations and member states. The Monitor serves as a nexus between United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Economic and Social Council, and sectoral agencies to align reporting with frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement, and Hyogo Framework for Action.

Overview

The platform operationalizes the seven global targets of the Sendai Framework through structured reporting modules tied to indicators used by organizations like the World Bank, World Health Organization, United Nations Development Programme, and the International Labour Organization. It enables integration with regional entities including the European Commission, African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and subnational authorities such as the State of California and Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Stakeholders from multilateral banks like the Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and African Development Bank utilize Monitor outputs alongside civil society actors such as International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Oxfam, and World Vision. Data interoperability links to statistical systems maintained by the United Nations Statistical Commission, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the International Monetary Fund.

Development and Purpose

Developed after negotiations at conferences including sessions of the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and consultations with technical partners such as the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and United Nations Office for Project Services, the Monitor was designed to harmonize reporting across instruments like the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 text adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. Its purpose is to provide transparency for member states reporting to bodies such as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and to inform policymakers in institutions like the European Commission Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, the United States Agency for International Development, and national ministries (e.g., Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Japan)) for evidence-based resilience investments.

Methodology and Indicators

The Monitor codifies quantitative and qualitative indicators linked to the Sendai global targets (A–G) and draws on methodologies from the International Organization for Standardization, United Nations Statistics Division, and thematic agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and International Atomic Energy Agency. Indicators cover mortality, economic loss, damage to critical infrastructure like airports and hospitals (e.g., Tokyo International Airport, Johns Hopkins Hospital), disruption to services tracked by organizations such as International Telecommunication Union and World Health Organization, and asset exposure layers used by European Space Agency and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Standards for data quality reference work by the World Meteorological Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Hydrographic Organization.

Implementation and Use by Countries

Member states including Japan, Philippines, Nepal, Italy, United States, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, Australia, and Canada submit national reports through focal points often located in agencies such as National Disaster Management Authority (India), Federal Emergency Management Agency, or ministries like Ministry of Interior (Mexico). Regional commissions like the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific support capacity building for reporting. Subnational administrations and city governments involved include City of New York, Mumbai Municipal Corporation, and City of Rio de Janeiro, linking to urban resilience initiatives by organizations such as 100 Resilient Cities and ICLEI.

Data Management and Technical Platform

The Monitor’s technical architecture integrates databases and tools from partners including the Global Earthquake Model, CRED (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters), EM-DAT, and geospatial services from Google Earth Engine, Copernicus Programme, and the Group on Earth Observations. The platform supports data exchange protocols used by the Open Geospatial Consortium and adopts cybersecurity practices influenced by standards from National Institute of Standards and Technology and European Union Agency for Cybersecurity. Visualization and analytics draw on software ecosystems like Esri, QGIS, R Project, and Python (programming language) libraries maintained by research institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and Tsinghua University.

Governance, Partnerships, and Capacity Building

Governance of the Monitor is coordinated by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction with advisory input from partners including the United Nations Development Programme, World Bank Group, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, Asian Development Bank, and regional organizations such as the European Union. Capacity-building partnerships engage training institutions like the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, UN Institute for Training and Research, universities including Columbia University, University of Tokyo, and networks such as Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction.

Impact, Challenges, and Criticisms

The Monitor has influenced reporting practices used in major assessments like the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction and informed finance mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility. Criticisms cite data gaps in low-income countries including Haiti and Somalia, issues with attribution when linking losses to events like Hurricane Katrina or 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and interoperability challenges with legacy systems in institutions such as national statistical offices and multilateral development banks. Debates involve transparency, data sovereignty concerns raised by governments like China and Russia, and calls from civil society organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for more granular social vulnerability metrics. Ongoing reforms aim to improve alignment with Sustainable Development Goals reporting and disaster finance tracking used by entities such as International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Category:Disaster risk reduction