By Knowledge Network – Staff member

Key tools to strengthen disaster resilience

Central to the report is an analysis of existing mechanisms for effectively managing and mitigating disaster risks. It examines the progression of national risk assessments, underlining their critical importance in disaster preparedness and prevention. The report highlights the Commission's collaboration with Member States and Participating States in enhancing these assessments, ensuring a robust framework for disaster resilience.

The document reviews progress in deploying key tools intended to strengthen disaster resilience, including Peer Reviews and the European Disaster Resilience Goals. Peer Reviews have emerged as a vital tool for mutual learning and capacity building among Member States, enabling the sharing of best practices and challenges in disaster risk management. The European Disaster Resilience Goals adopted in 2023, meanwhile, set a strategic direction for increasing the resilience of the EU and its members against disasters, marking a milestone in collective disaster preparedness efforts.

This wildfire is the largest blaze in the European Union since 2000, when the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) started recording data. — Wildfires in Greece: biggest rescEU aerial firefighting operation. © European Union, 2023 (photographer: Vasileios Pristouris)

State of Disaster Risk Management across Europe

A crucial component of the report is its analysis of national reports on disaster risk management, supported by a detailed Commission staff working document. This analysis sheds light on the current state of disaster risk management across Europe, identifying areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. The report also underscores the necessity of refining risk assessments to accurately account for future risks, particularly those exacerbated by climate change. It calls for a greater integration of climate change considerations into disaster risk management planning, advocating for an integrated approach that recognises the link between climate and disaster risks.

Furthermore, it suggests enhancing synergies with other risk assessment and sectoral policies, proposing that a unified approach to risk management could significantly elevate Europe's capability to manage and mitigate disasters effectively.

Identifying Risks of Highest Concern

According to the Document’s findings, the risks of highest concern to most Member States and Participating States remain floods, extreme weather, and human health-related risks, as well as nuclear and radiological risks, and industrial accidents. The most significant change is the increasing concern for droughts, for which concern has almost doubled since 2015.

Cross-Border Risks

For the first time, countries were also asked to identify key risks which could have significant adverse cross-border impacts. For the 28 countries that identified such cross-border risks, the most commonly-identified were nuclear and radiological risks, floods, wildfires, human health risks, critical infrastructure and supply disruptions (electricity, water, energy and food), and industrial risks.

6 Member States and participating countries in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (Cyprus, Czechia, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Slovakia) have contributed 6 ground firefighting teams. — Wildfires in Greece: biggest rescEU aerial firefighting operation. © European Union, 2023 (photographer: Vasileios Pristouris)

The most significant change is the increasing concern for droughts, for which concern has almost doubled since 2015.

The publication of this progress report coincides with the "Managing climate risks – protecting people and prosperity" Communication (COM(2024)91), a reaction to the first EU Climate Risk Assessment issued by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

As Europe faces an increasingly volatile climate and the ever-present threat of natural and man-made disasters, the first UCPM progress report on prevention and risk management serves as a useful overview of the EU's response to safeguarding its communities. By laying down a roadmap for strengthened disaster risk management and climate risk adaptation, the report sets a course towards a resilient Europe, to protect its people and prosperity in the face of future uncertainties. Read more about Disaster Risk Management under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism

About the author

The Knowledge Network – Staff member

The Knowledge Network editorial team is here to share the news and stories of the Knowledge Network community. We'd love to hear your news, events and personal stories about your life in civil protection and disaster risk management. If you've got a story to share, please contact us.