Anup Shrestha

Many people in the world have likely experienced disasters or complex emergencies, such as armed conflicts, disease outbreaks, or displacements, at least once in their life. While memories of these events may fade, the lasting impacts can leave enduring scars. As a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) researcher, I am concerned about the forensics behind the disaster impacts to develop strategies for mitigating impacts on the communities at risk. With the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) approaching its end in 2030, I would like to reflect on my experiences at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR), which took place from June 2 to June 6, 2025, in Geneva. The personal reflections in this blog blend my observations with key facts and discussions from the conference. Since the sessions were not organised strictly according to SFDRR’s priorities, I have structured my reflections to align with these priorities to provide a clearer picture of current progress and challenges. By summarising the key takeaways, I conclude with some insights for researchers on disaster risk reduction beyond 2030.  

The SFDRR, a global agreement endorsed by United Nations member states in 2015, aims to prevent and reduce both current and future risks. Collaborating with local government, the private sector, and other stakeholders, the member states strive to substantially decrease disaster-related losses in lives, livelihoods, health, and infrastructure by 2030. The SFDRR outlines four key priorities, seven global targets, and 38 indicators to measure the progress in DRR by 2030. To achieve DRR goals, the four priorities of SFDRR are:  

1. 1. Understanding disaster risk 
   2. Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk 
   3. Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience 
   4. Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction 

 

 

 The 5-day GPDRR conference, held under the theme “Every Day Counts, Act For Resilience Today”, emphasized the urgent need to accelerate the implementation of SFDRR in the final five-year period before 2030. This platform focused on driving collective action to manage risks in a rapidly changing climate. GPDRR featured crucial sessions addressing four priorities, including other formats such as learning labs, the ignite stage, innovation platforms, and exhibits of humanitarian organizations, all functioning as progress checkpoints and drivers of innovation, inclusion, and action.  

Representatives from member states highlighted the value of citizen science, participatory and community-driven initiatives, indigenous Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and the utilization of social media platforms for localisation of the DRR efforts. Nonetheless, challenges regarding governance, financing, data accessibility, and social inclusion persist, especially in low- and middle-income nations. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend how the concept of resilience should be strategically developed amidst climate change, cascading hazards, and emerging risks in a post-SFDRR world. 

Here are my reflections, aligned with the priorities of SFDRR. 

 

1. Understanding disaster risk 

One of the most repeated and internalised messages of the platform was “Disasters are not natural.” While hazards are natural phenomena, disasters occur when they intersect with human vulnerabilities, fragile infrastructure, and systemic inequalities. Many sessions highlighted one critical point that “Hazard don’t occur in silos, compound and cascading risks are the new normal.”  This point emphasizes the shift from our traditional risk assessment that deals with hazards and sectors separately towards a holistic, systemic approach that considers dynamic interdependencies among multiple hazards. These risk assessments must incorporate all risk components: hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and the probability of these three components, as highlighted in SFDRR and IPCC. Panelists from Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre, Africa and the National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Mozambique, reported the challenges in accessing the local data for all the risk components due to transboundary hazards and limited open sharing initiatives. They suggested using a citizen-science approach and local volunteers, a point emphasized by panelists representing private NGOs, governmental bodies, and humanitarian organisations from countries such as India, Dubai, Iran, and some African countries. Consequently, the focus should be on integrating physical science with social data, local challenges, and lived experiences, since the context and challenges are also dynamic.  

The UNDRR Scientific Council’s new Hazard Information Profiles for 280+ hazards demonstrate what can be achieved when data is made interoperable and accessible. However, the bigger challenge is ensuring that modellers, researchers, local decision-makers, planners, and frontline communities effectively utilize these insights. 

 

2. Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk

Effective governance can protect vulnerable communities from disasters through risk-informed decisions and actions. A distributive approach consisting of multiple stakeholders across all the levels of government promotes effective governance.  Panelists from Practical Action and the National Emergency Management Authority, Australia, consistently emphasized the significance of governance in high-level dialogues and sessions. For instance, effective coordination between the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and local government levels, as well as Non-Governmental Organisations, is crucial for communicating early warning messages to communities at risk. Reflecting on my study in Nepal, I noted that some locals lost their lives during a flood despite timely warnings (See in reference 1). Technological advancements in forecasting and early warning exist, but without community trust, cross-sector coordination, and locally rooted governance, the early warnings often fail to translate into early actions.  A statement at the platform, “Early warnings work. They should work for everyone,” underscores the importance of effective governance.   

When hazards cascade — such as floods triggering a landslide, or heatwaves compounding urban health crises — siloed governance models increase vulnerability. We need a whole-of-society approach and multi-risk governance structures that break down institutional and disciplinary walls. 

3. Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience 

Although national-level policies and DRR initiatives have improved, challenges remain in the effective decentralisation of plans and policies to the municipal (local) level, primarily due to inadequate funding mechanisms. Executive director of the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage, pointed out that the communities are on the frontlines of risk, but not on the frontlines of funding. Prioritising risk-informed and action-oriented investment is crucial for DRR reduction in those communities. The Vice president of Tohoku University mentioned that there is insufficient emphasis on future risk assessment and noted that “1$ investment in DRR can save 15$ in recovery”. This highlights the importance of shifting DRR efforts from reactive responses to long-term risk assessment and resilience-building.  

To reduce disaster impacts effectively, there must be tangible efforts to incorporate risk transfer solutions like insurance and action-oriented preventive measures, not just in strategic plans but in actual budget allocations. 

4. Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction 

Effective disaster preparedness requires vulnerable communities to take anticipatory actions to reduce the impacts before the disasters fully unfold. Planning such actions relies on weather forecasts and risk assessments, which must be translated into actionable insights to prepare the vulnerable communities (See reference 1 for methodology). Observations at the conference suggest that the tools, such as board games, gaming platforms, virtual reality simulations, and flip books showcased in the innovative platforms, can effectively communicate risk and enhance community understanding. Furthermore, thematic sessions on anticipatory actions (See reference 2) emphasized the importance of gender-inclusive, multisectoral, and user-centric design of the anticipatory action protocol to shift the focus from traditional reactive humanitarian response to a proactive preventive one. High-level dialogues and thematic sessions also addressed the role of risk assessments and future scenario modelling for strategic planning of post-disaster recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts aligned with the principle of “Build Back Better”.   

Looking Ahead: How can researchers contribute towards building resilience? 

Based on the key takeaways from the conference, I strongly encourage researchers to consider the following points into account to help in building resilience: 

• • Focusing on multi-hazard risk assessment breaking the individual hazard silos 
  • Modelling the emerging risks utilizing Hazard Information Profile in risk assessment studies 
  • Incorporating the voices of local communities, social scientists, and physical scientists for localisation of DRR efforts. 
  • Adopting best practices around the world to conduct feasibility studies on risk transfer mechanism. 
  • Assessing the response and recovery needs quantitatively for various scenarios of hazards. 
  • Enhancing data sharing mechanisms through open-source community-driven platforms for reliable risk assessments. 

GPDRR reminded me that resilience cannot be achieved overnight. Building resilience starts with small, sustained actions we take – whether as researchers, practitioners, or citizens – to ensure risk awareness, inclusivity, and equitable systems. True resilience is built through daily effort: making data accessible, ensuring voices are heard, and embedding fairness in every layer of preparedness and recovery. 

The question now isn’t about what can be done. Instead, it’s:  

Will we take the necessary actions today to ensure resilience becomes a reality for the future? 

Anup Shrestha is a doctoral researcher at the Water and Development Research Group, Aalto University. He holds a Master’s degree in Disaster Risk Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. His research interests include hydrological and hydraulic modeling, flood risk and impact assessments, and the development of early warning systems. His ongoing work seeks to enhance flood risk and impact assessments in areas with limited data to support risk-informed decision-making.

 

References: 

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420925000627. This article reports the local challenges in the effective implementation of the flood early warning system and proposes a mixed approach to integrate the challenges with impact maps for planning preparatory and early actions.  
2. https://www.anticipation-hub.org/events/list-of-anticipatory-action-sessions-at-gpdrr-2025. These are the lists of anticipatory action-related sessions at GPDRR. 
3. https://cope-disaster-champions.com/disaster-book-series/ This is a book series published by COPE International that covers natural hazards ranging from floods to earthquakes, wildfires to cyclones, and provides coping tools, preparedness, and relatable stories in an imaginative and easy-to-understand way. These books have the mission to educate children from all over the world, so they can become champions to act as role models in their community. 
4. https://www.stopdisastersgame.org/ This online game teaches adults and children how to build safer villages and cities against disasters. Users learn through playing how the location and the construction materials of houses make a difference when disasters strike, and how early warning systems, evacuation plans, and education save lives. 
5.   https://spab.kemendikdasmen.go.id/web/files/PREDIKT.pdf This toolkit provides essential guidance in preparing for the different types of disaster.