Positioned for action: Displacement in the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction

Displacement is both a major consequence and a driver of disaster risk. Between 2008 and 2015 disasters brought on by rapid-onset natural hazard events displaced 25.4 million people on average each year, equivalent to one person every second.

This briefing paper provides policy-makers, agencies, civil society and other stakeholders with a summary of how displacement is positioned in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR) as a critical issue for reducing disaster risk. It provides analysis of the global indicator framework and updated DRR terminology endorsed by the General Assembly as key tools for measuring global progress. It also aims to clarify the terms “displaced”, “evacuated” and “relocated” in relation to the SFDRR’s priorities for action, targets and indicators, as governments have signaled is needed. Finally, it looks forward to the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in Mexico in May 2017 as a first opportunity for the international community to review progress since the SFDRR’s adoption.