Role of private sectors in disaster risk reduction: Potential and challenges

The private sector is an important actor in disaster risk reduction, and its importance has been highlighted after the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was adopted in 2015. The role of private sectors vary from corporate social responsibility activities and creating a corporate community interface to ensuring that innovative technical solutions for disaster risk reduction are a core business. This study elaborates on different models and examples of these roles. Three critical examples come from Japan, the Philippines, and Malaysia, where private organizations work closely with national governments and enter into partnership agreements, which ensure the sustainability of their involvement. Other core examples are from civil society, where the private sector works for demand-driven innovation. One challenging issue of private sector involvement is that of the small and medium-sized enterprises, which are often unregistered and need special attention during disasters and post-disaster recovery.