Strategies and Frameworks

National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework (the Framework) was released in April 2019 and sets out the foundational work required nationally, across all sectors, to reduce existing disaster risk, minimise new disaster risk, and deliver better climate and disaster risk information.

As the domestic implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the Framework articulates Australia’s 2030 vision for disaster risk reduction, which is broadly aligned with the goals of the Sendai Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals:

In Australia, we are enabled and supported to actively reduce disaster risk and limit the impacts of disasters on communities and economies.

All sectors of society understand and respond to social, environmental, technological and demographic changes which have the potential to prevent, create or exacerbate disaster risks. All sectors of society:

make disaster risk-informed decisions,
are accountable for reducing risks within their control,
and invest in reducing disaster risk in order to limit the cost of disasters when they occur.

To meet this vision, the Framework outlines foundational strategies for action structured around four national priorities across the five years from 2019-2023:

Understand disaster risk
Accountable decisions
Enhanced investment
Governance, ownership and responsibility

The Framework, which was co-designed by government and non-government stakeholders, intends to provide national decision makers with the right tools and information to better understand the risks and make risk-informed decisions. Further guidance material is available.

Australia's national midterm review of the Sendai Framework

As the key international framework to drive disaster risk reduction, the Sendai Framework seeks to achieve a substantial reduction of disaster risk by 2030. As 2022-2023 marks the half-way point of this 15-year Sendai Framework, Australia has been asked to take stock of progress to-date in implementing the framework domestically through a midterm review.

Australia’s national midterm review was just as much about looking back as it was about looking forward. It provided an important opportunity to gain insights, identify emerging best practice, and report on the achievements to-date in reducing disaster risks in Australia.

Extensive engagement was undertaken to inform the review, which was conducted concurrent to the development of the Second National Action Plan for the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework. As part of the review, the National Emergency Management Agency engaged with all state and territory governments, as well as local government, Commonwealth agencies, private industry and the not-for-profit sector. Read the review at Australia's National Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework. You can also read the Annex to Australia's National Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework.

National Action Plans

National Action Plans are the primary mechanism to progress action on the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework.

They are key planning documents that take strategic thinking around disaster resilience and translate it into meaningful actions.

The National Action Plans, written by the National Emergency Management Agency with support from the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, identify key partners whose engagement is needed for success.

These include:

Australian Government Partners
State Government
Local Government
Business and Industry
Communities and their members

First National Action Plan

Endorsed by Emergency Management Ministers on 22 May 2020, the first National Action Plan was a starting point that outlined a range of initiatives aligned to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework that were already underway – consolidating those efforts from Commonwealth, State and Territory jurisdictions into one document.

The baseline was developed and now it is the National Emergency Management Agency’s role to coordinate and develop the second national action plan.

Second National Action Plan

The National Emergency Management Agency is in the process of developing the second iteration of the National Action Plan, working closely with the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience and consulting with stakeholders including industry, communities, and local, state and territory governments, and has completed the following feedback:

Discussion paper consultation (opened to disaster agency partners)
A survey on awareness around disaster risk reduction (opened to the Australian public)

It is expected that the Second National Action Plan will be completed by early 2023.

We aim to deliver a forward-thinking strategic plan that puts the action back into action plan.

For more information contact the project team or visit the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience website.

National Strategy for Disaster Resilience

Released in 2011, Australia's National Strategy for Disaster Resilience acknowledges the increasing severity and regularity of disasters in Australia and the need for a coordinated, cooperative national effort to enhance Australia's capacity to withstand and recover from emergencies and disasters.

The National Strategy for Disaster Resilience describes disaster resilience as the collective responsibility of all levels of government, businesses, the non-government sector and individuals.

Where these sectors work together, with a united focus and a shared sense of responsibility to improve disaster resilience, they will be far more effective than the individual efforts of any one sector.

Australian Disaster Recovery Framework

The Australian Disaster Recovery Framework (ADRF) was developed by the Community Outcomes and Recovery Sub-committee (CORS) under the auspices of the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee (ANZEMC), and endorsed by the latter in October 2022. It was developed in response to challenges the disaster management sector has faced when dealing with medium and longer term recovery from events that overwhelm local resources.

While disaster events may be similar, their impacts and consequences are not, especially when it comes to recovery. The ADRF recognises the need for tailored, adaptable and community-led programming to effectively support affected people in their recovery journey. The ADRF outlines the various principles and arrangements that guide recovery work nationally, in particular detailing mechanisms, practices and legislation that are available to support recovery practitioners and planners to coordinate and collaborate effectively. The ADRF is reviewed periodically to ensure arrangements are updated as required.

For more information or any enquiries please contact nationalrecoveryprojects@nema.gov.au

Strategies and Frameworks

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