A UCPM Peer Review in Romania has highlighted good practices and made recommendations for the future in disaster risk management.
(Photo on left shows members of the UCPM peer review team with Francisc Senzaconi, Head of Disaster Risk Reduction Department at GIES)
Romania has completed a UCPM peer review with expert peers from UCPM member states and the European Commission. The exercise highlighted good practices in the country and made recommendations.
The Department for Emergency Situations (DES) in Romania, together with its General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (GIES), requested a UCPM peer review focused on disaster risk reduction governance, risk management planning, risk prevention and risk preparedness measures.
The review mission took place in October 2022. The peer review team, accompanied by ECHO staff and supported by the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change, met with a wide range of stakeholders and went on field visits in and around Bucharest.
The review report, presented by European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič to Romanian Prime-Minister Nicolae Ciucă, identified strengths and good practices in the Romanian disaster risk management system.
“The peer review exercise was an opportunity for Romania to present its good practices and disaster management approach – anchored in the specificities of Romania and its geographic position – and to identify the areas that require sustained effort to improve.”
Romania has a strong legislative and governance basis in disaster risk management. Its recent strategic planning stresses the importance of policy coherence between disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Romania is currently developing its national disaster risk reduction strategy and the recommendations provided in the peer review report are especially timely as part of this.
Nationwide risk awareness campaigns have taken place in Romania in recent years, and these may be brought even closer to citizens through public-private partnerships.
“Being one of the peers of the UCPM Peer Review Romania has been an enriching experience. It’s an opportunity to share experiences with one another and with a country that is determined to move from disaster management to disaster risk management. We’ve returned home with a suitcase full of thoughts and ideas – from small details to big actions – that we can apply in our own systems. Everything counts.”
Among the peer review’s main recommendations were:
The peer review team was made up of expert civil protection practitioners from national authorities: Sofía Gonzales Lopez (Spain), Laurent Alfonso (France), Nataša Holcinger (Croatia) and Carlos Mendes (Portugal).
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.
Sectors