Voluntary commitments contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the global plan for reducing disaster losses, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development share a common premise: the resilience of communities and nations is a necessary condition for sustainable economic and social development.

This alignment extends to specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets. For example, in the Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments online platform, stakeholders can showcase their work on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Data from the platform provides evidence that stakeholders’ commitments cover almost all the SDGs.

Most frequently, commitments address inclusive and resilient urban planning (SDG11, sustainable cities and communities), climate change (SDG13), and capacity across organizations (SDG17, partnerships for the goals). There are no commitments covering SDG12 (responsible consumption and production) at the moment. This finding suggests that stakeholders should be encouraged to accelerate actions in this area and log more commitments. Resilience is also built upon the sustainable use of natural resources, food production, and waste management, among others.