, pp.185-189 http://dx.doi.org/10.14257/astl.2016.129.37 Improving Korea s Disaster Risk Reduction Policy using the Sendai Framework 2015-2030 Younhee Kim National Civil Defense and Disaster Management Training Institute Tajosan-Gill, Chunan-Si, Chunchungname-Do, South Korea ykim5@korea.kr Abstract. The term of Hyogo Framework for Action(HFA) was over in 2015 and the Sendai Framework is now in effect. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2023 (Sendai Framework) is the results of the United Nation World Conferencce on Disaster Risk Reduction(UNCDRR) which happended in Sendai, Japan in 2015. The Sendai Framework is important as the internaitonal communities agree that this framework is a generic instrument for the disaster risk reduction. Hence, this paper reviews the contents of the Sendai Framework and the four priorities of the Sendai frameowork. Further, the current disaster risk reduction programs and policies in Korea are discussed based on the four priorities to extract the future tasks for improving the Korea s DRR policies. Finally the policy implications and future tasks are discussed. This paper provides an international policy trend on disaster risk reduction and this can be used for the policy makers to widen the current disaster management programs to various areas of the emergency management in Korea. Keywords: Sendai Framework, Disaster Risk Reduction, Mitigation Policies, National Emergency Management Policy 1 Introduction The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was announced as a successor instrument to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in 2015. The international communities came up with the agreements for managing disaster risks including disaster risk reduction, climate change action and sustainable development agendas. According to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), the nation s progress have been made in reducing disaster risk and make the cases for disaster risk management, however, still over seven hundred thousand lives were lost and approximately twenty three million homeless exist [1]. Since the term of HFA ended its impacts in 2015, the United Nation World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) was held in Sendai, Japan in 2015. The outcome of the WCDRR is called the Sendai Framework for disaster reduction. This Framework is focused on ensuring the continuity of the mitigation works carried out by countries and other stakeholders. This framework is a 15 year framework, ISSN: 2287-1233 ASTL Copyright 2016 SERSC
voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes that the State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk but that responsibility should be shared with other stakeholders [2]. Since the Sendai Framework strongly emphasized the nation s accountabilities and international collaborations, it is necessary to review the current disaster risk reduction programs and policies in Korea and discuss the future tasks to align with the Sendai Framework. Hence, this paper describes the main contents of the Sendai Framework and four priorities of the framework. Further, the current disaster risk reduction programs and policies in Korea are discussed based on the four priorities to extract the future tasks for implementing the Sendai Framework. Finally, the policy implications and future tasks are discussed. 2 Sendai Framework and the Four Priorities Although the Sendai Framework is a successor of the HFA, the emphasis and contents of the Sendai Framework are a lot differ from the HFA. Mainly, the Sendai Framework emphasized a paradigm shift on disaster risk reduction policy in various ways. For instance, the Sendai Framework is focused on disaster risk management instead of disaster management itself. Particularly, the HFA is more focused on what to do, while the Sendai Framework is focused on how to do. This means that the Sendai Framework is more tuned to the practical aspects of disaster risk reduction. Apparently, the Sendai Framework has four priorities for action which provide a practical guidance for countries. The four priorities are: (1) Better understanding of disaster risk, (2) Stronger governance and institutions to manage disaster risk, (3) More investment in economic, social cultural and environmental resilience (4) Strong preparedness for effective response, and building back better in recovery and reconstructions. Each priority comes with the general considerations for implementation which can be easily applied for the disaster risk reduction policies. The first priority, understanding disaster risk, is asking for a country (or state) to understand not only the disaster but also disaster risk. According to the framework, without proper understanding of the disaster risk which includes vulnerability, capacity, and hazards, the country cannot leverage the purpose of the pre-disaster risk assessment and implementation of appropriate preparedness and effective response to disasters. The second priority is strengthening a disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk. This means that each level of the government: national, regional level should prepare the structured governance system which includes defining the clear role and responsibilities, understanding stakeholders, the institutional framework and the adapting national and local DRR strategies. The third priority is investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience. This includes the cost-effective measures and instruments to save lives, preventing losses and ensuring effective and efficient recovery and rehabilitations. The Sendai Framework can be used for the interpretive instrument highlight the social and cultural measure to strengthen resilience [2]. The key considerations for implementation are including 186 Copyright 2016 SERSC
adaptation of non-structural measures, ensuring a culture of maintenance as well as strengthening and enforcing of the building code at the national level. The fourth priority is enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to build back better in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. This means that the disaster risk is growing rapidly and after disasters strike, rebuilding the community which reaches the better condition than before the disaster situations. Therefore building back better is including through integrating disaster risk reduction in to the concepts of resilience are important [3]. On top of the four priorities, the Sendai Framework treats the accountability at the national level very seriously. For the responsibilities of making sure the nation safe, Sendai Framework urges the nation to take more responsibilities on this subject. This includes building and enhancing a mechanism for compliance in emergency as well as the establishing the transparency on monitoring and reporting structure for frequently occurring disasters and hazards. According to the Sendai Framework, the country has the primary responsibility and should consider stakeholders shared responsibilities for DRR. In this light, the scope of the framework has widened and the framework now includes not only for the natural disasters which HFA were mainly focused, but also the slow-onset, man-made disasters and bio-hazards that any countries may face in this era. 3 Disaster Risk Reduction Policies in Korea and the Sendai Framework By the nature, Korea is the country where four distinct seasons characterized by many arid days in spring and fall, substantial rain in summer and much snow in winter. Under these circumstances, Korea is especially vulnerable to floods and typhoons each year. In fact, the fighting with natural disaster such as torrential rain and typhoons is the major task in emergency management in Korea. In twenty-one century, not only for natural disasters but also the man-made disasters such as fire, building collapse and oil spills occurred in Korea and these major events has the key mover for shaping the emergency management system in Korea. With the experience of fighting against the water-related disasters, Korea developed a unique emergency management system which mainly suits to the natural disasters since 1960. In the emergency management field, more than 70 laws and regulations in emergency and disaster management have been enacted since the establishment of the Korean government at the beginning of the 1950s [6]. For example, the Flood Disaster and Relief Act was passed in 1967 and the Flood with Typhoon Countermeasure Act was established and it included the management of earthquakes, droughts, and flood with typhoon. This Disaster Management Act was passed after combining aspects of the Architecture Act and the Firefighting Act in 1995. Back then, the individual law was managing each types of disaster and this creates the fragmentations of responsibilities and redundancy in the government. Due to the the collapse of the Sampung department store served and Daegu Subway Arson occurred, the Korean government began to comprehensively manage disasters by establishing the Emergency and Safety Management Basic Act in March 2004 [6]. The Korean Copyright 2016 SERSC 187
government tried to manage social emergencies including those relating to critical infrastructure and key resources as well as natural disasters and man-made emergency through this Act. The Daegu subway arson incident in 2003 worked as the impetus for passing this law. The table 1 indicates the major legislations and disasters occurred in Korea since 1960. 4 Implications of the Sendai Framework in Korea As stated earlier, since Korea built the disaster management around the natural disasters and however Korea is now facing complex, multi, compounding and natural disasters. Apparently, the disaster and safety management basic law are clearly stated that there are three different types of disasters exist in Korea: natural, social and overseas disasters. Due to this legislation, Korea has built the disaster and safety management system by disaster type. The Sendai Framework gave an opportunity for Korea to reconsider and widen the disaster management policies to more various and complex disasters by using the disaster risk concept. This framework aims to achieve the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assess to persons, business, communities and countries over the next 15 years [4]. 5 Conclusion This paper describes the Sendai Framework and its four priorities. Since the Sendai Framework is a successor instrument of the Hyogo Framework of Action, the Sendai Framework provides more detail and descriptive actions and approaches on disaster risk reductions. This paper provides a various disaster management policies and the historical background of the disaster management in Korea. Further, the current disaster management policy in Korea is discussed based on the four priorities. Finally, the implication and discussions on the usage of the Sendai Framework as a policy instrument to Korea s disaster management policy. This paper describes the international policy trend on disaster risk reduction and this can be used for the policy makers to widen the current disaster management programs to various areas of the emergency management. The future research tasks are investigating the changes of the DRR policies and the post-impacts of the Sendai Framework to Korea. This may be conducted with other neighboring countries such as Japan and China References 1. UNISDR, http://www.unisdr.org/we/coordinate/sendai-framework 2. Sendai Declaration, http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/publications/43300 3. UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, http://www.wcdrr.org/ 4. Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 http://www.preventionweb.net/files/43291_sendaiframeworkfordrren.pdf, 188 Copyright 2016 SERSC
5. Kim. P.S., Lee. J.E.: Emergency Management in Korea and its Future Directions, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 6(4), 189-201 (1998) 6. Ha. K.M., Ahn. J.Y.: National Emergency Management System: The United Sakes and Korea Journal of Emergency Management 6(2), 31-44 (2008) Copyright 2016 SERSC 189