COVALEX: Open Data and IT Platforms for Emergency Situations Catalogue for Local Government

Europe has experienced devastating hydrometeorological hazards in the past and, with the current climate change prospects, will do so even more in the future. An interconnected world and systems make disaster governance a key issue in dealing with different risks as hydrometeorological hazards can potentially also affect technological infrastructure and be the trigger for further hazards, the authors point out.

Europe faces challenges due to diverse governance structures, varying risk perceptions, and different levels of vulnerability across countries. Effective disaster governance requires collaboration among stakeholders at all levels and investment in research and innovation, they add.

Disaster governance actors include public agencies, emergency and rescue services, academia, NGOs and CSOs, industries, and operators of critical infrastructure. A survey conducted among COVALEX stakeholders revealed that public authorities are the most prominent actors in the network at the moment. Their main concerns are floods, torrential rain, and storms.
Risk perception is an important factor in disaster governance. The participants expect a shift in relevance towards risks such as heat waves, droughts, and wildfires in the next ten years.

In terms of requirements for the COVALEX network, the participants expressed interest in the exchange of best practices and experiences, learning about different disaster governance strategies, collaboration and education.