The EU Strategy for the Danube Region had the pleasure of attending a remarkable event focused on enhancing disaster management across the EU.

 

Zsolt Kelemen represented the EUSDR PA5 Disaster Management Working Group and the Budapest Firefighter’s Association, delivering an insightful speech. He discussed the strategic initiatives under the EUSDR and how they can bolster the EU Civil Protection Mechanism through its Disaster Management Working Group among the members.

 

The priority area also had a dedicated stand with the lead organisational partner Luxemburg  named “Added Value of Regions to EU Disaster Management” together with the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and the Greater Region.

 

An interactive workshop on ‘Knowledge Transfer in Civil Protection Exercises’ was attended by the representatives of the priority area as well. The main question was whether the evaluation of events and the lessons learned are being achieved and, if not, what are the obstacles to addressing the problems identified during the preparation events. Discussions and opinions unanimously showed that large-scale preparation events, such as field exercises, can realize the continuous transfer of knowledge, the drawing of lessons and their follow-up if they are organized regularly. In this respect, a project-based approach cannot facilitate the implementation of these events on a periodic basis. Another problem is trust and fear of consequences, which in many cases points back to a cultural or organizational background. Providing more structured evaluation processes and adequate time for follow-up would help to ensure that these large-scale preparedness exercises are not only insular.

 

The priority area’s representatives also participated in the ‘Strengthening disaster resilience: joining civil protection and private sector efforts”. The panellists included a number of senior experts from the public and private sectors: Seppe van den Steen (Belgian Federal Ministry of Health), Fredric Stany (Swedish Civil Emergency Agency), Frederik Hassel (Saab), Cynthia Spishak (US Federal Emergency Management Agency), Adam Elman (Google), Camila Saad (Amazon Web Services), and Johan Karlsson (Better Shelter). The panelists underlined the essential and necessary cooperation between the two sectors in the field of disaster management, within which large tech companies such as Google or Amazon can process and transmit large amounts of data (big data) to the most disadvantaged regions in terms of disaster exposure, and public sector actors can thus help the actors of the respective regions locally, regionally and directly. In addition, the representatives of the private sector also highlighted that their shareholders would be better off in the long run if the two sectors cooperated in disaster management, of which the Saab medical protective clothing purchase campaign is a good example during the COVID crisis.

 

The Communication from the Commission ‘Bridging the Inclusion Gap: Advancing Equality in European Civil Protection Teams” focused on promoting inclusion and equality in international disaster relief and preparedness. Panelists, including Geir Ellingsen (Norwegian Civil Protection Expert), Anna Kosterkiewicz (Head of the Polish Voluntary Medical Team), Michela Matuella (Director of the EU Emergency Response Centre) and Inger-Johanne Tjoflaat (Humanitarian Field Advisor), discussed existing inequalities and developed strategies to better involve and support female interveners. During the panel discussions, it was highlighted that diversity brings better results and improvements in team dynamics and results. They stressed that belonging to the majority was not a privilege, but a responsibility. It is important for those in the majority to know and recognise that they are favoured and to help achieve more equal treatment.

 

The event underscored the importance of regional cooperation for effective disaster response and resilience. By integrating efforts from the Danube and Baltic Sea regions, we are better equipped to manage environmental risks and enhance hte EU Civil Protection Mechanism!