Central European Disaster Prevention Forum (CEUDIP)

As the Czech Republic territory comprises sources of a good part of the Central European rivers which are shared with its neighbors, the Czech NC DR took the initiative in the establishment and activities of the Central European Disaster Prevention Forum (CEUDIP) with a permanent Secretariat in Prague. The Executive Secretary of CEUDIP was appointed Prof. J. Nemec (CR), Dr. Obrusnik (CR) was elected as a chairman of CEUDIP. The first meeting of the Forum took place in 2000 in Warsaw; the second in Bratislava in 2001, the third in Bonn in 2002, the fourth in Balaton, the fifth in Prague and the sixth in Cracow.

In general, the Forum is exchanging information on the status of disaster prevention institutions and activities in early warning, media role, legislation, education and other subjects. It also intends to assist in the coordinated activities by international bodies such as the ISDR of the UN, WMO, and some NGOs. However, the new possibilities for enhanced activities of CEUDIP appeared after an enlargement of European Union as all CEUDIP members state have become the EU members and disaster reduction has become one of the key issues of EU. Therefore, one of the possibilities for getting better recognition and also funding of both CEUDIP and National Committees for Disaster Reduction in central European countries could be a proposal and participation in a common project funded from EU resources or with an assistance of WMO (World Meteorological Organization).

Council of Europe (CoE)
EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreeement
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/majorhazards/default_EN.asp?

In 1987 the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe established an intergovernmental Open Partial Agreement called EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement, which to date has been joint by 25 countries. The main objective of the aagreement is “to reinforce and promote cooperation between member states in a multy-disciplinary contect to ensure better prevention, protection and organisation of relief in the event of major natural or technological disasters by calling upon present day resources and knowledge to ensure efficient and interdependent management of major disasters.”

Although limited funding possibilities of the EUR-OPA Major Hazard Agreement, national platforms for disaster risk reduction could possibly find connection points for their own work among the activities run by the Agreement.
Recent activities of the Agreement include:

Policy, legislative and institutional aspects:

1. Comparative analysis of interministerial management of major hazards
2. Role of local and regional authorities in risk management
3. Adoption of recommandations on risk education and local and regional authorities role

Building a culture of risk reduction

1. School level education: educating children (as the best vehicles for establishing a risk culture) through the use of Internet
2. University level: support to the Post Graduate Training School 2006 MultiRISKS
3. Preparation of a national and local campaign on population information in Armenia

Scientific and technical cooperation

1. Health effects of wildland fire smoke
2. Contribution to risk mapping in Southern Caucasus
3. Support to the 20th anniversary Conference on Chernobyl Disaster

Preparedness and effective response

1. Provision of earthquake basic data and estimated damages
2. Joint programme with EFPA on psychological aid to disasters’ victims

Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative for South Eastern Europe (DPPI SEE)
www.dppi.info

On 16 March 2000, the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe launched the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative (DPPI SEE), in an effort to contribute to the development of a cohesive regional strategy for disaster preparedness and prevention. DPPI SEE aims to pull together ongoing and future activities to identify and address unmet needs, in order to both improve the efficiency of national disaster management systems, and to endorse a framework for regional cooperation. DPPI SEE has been a primary example of regional ownership, with full involvement of regional countries cooperating under the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe auspices, supported by interested countries and international organizations and agencies (such as the European Union, UNDP, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, NATO, the Swedish Rescue Services Agency and the Danish Emergency Management Agency).

One of the main tasks of DPPI SEE is to bring the participants' political strategies in line with one another, to coordinate existing and new initiatives in the region and, thereby, to help avoid unnecessary duplication of work. The objective of the DPPI SEE is to:

• Strengthen good neighborly relations and stability through the exchange of information, lessons learnt and best practices in the field of disaster management.
• Enhance cooperation among DPPI SEE partners in view of European Union enlargement and the process of Euro-Atlantic integration for SEE countries.
• Support and encourage countries in the region to develop, adopt and/or enforce state-of-the-art disaster emergency legislation, regulations and codes designed to prevent and mitigate disasters in line with guidelines and common practices accepted in the international community.

In July 2005, DPPI SEE was transferred to a regional office in Sarajevo. On 24 September 2007 in Zagreb, government representatives of Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Romania and Slovenia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the institutional framework of DPPI SEE. Serbia signed the MOU in January 2008, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is committed to signing the MOU after completion of its internal decision-making procedures.

Since its formation, DPPI SEE’s partners have initiated and developed various project proposals, strengthening regional cooperation through the utilization of coordinated action and using internationally accepted methodology. In the past six years, for example, more than 700 participants from the SEE region have participated in 53 training events conducted within framework of the DPPI SEE Disaster Management Training Program. Through the Joint Firefighting Unit Project (JFU), 72 firefighters from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro have been equipped with identical firefighting and communication equipment, and have been trained using identical international standards. A new project, Joint Firefighting in SEE, seeks to build on this initial work by exploring establishment of a regional platform for education, training and coordination; refreshing training for JFU; training and equipping new and existing firefighting teams with standardized equipment; and initiating regular regional exchange of information regarding fire, forest fire and fire in open space. Another project, proposing the establishment of joint emergency response units in case of floods in the SEE region, aims to improve regional preparedness and response capacity for floods by equipping and jointly training eight emergency response units in eight countries of the SEE region.

DPPI SEE partners have also collaborated to harmonize seismic risk hazard maps in countries influenced by the Vrancea earthquakes, as well as in Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. This project expanded further in October 2007, when DPPI SEE, in collaboration with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, and supported by experts from Slovenia and Turkey, officially launched the Project for Harmonization of Seismic Hazard Maps for the Western Balkan Countries.  

European Network of National Platforms and Focal Points for Disaster Reduction

On April 23, 2007 heads of the French, German and Swiss National Platforms met in Basel and signed an agreement for the establishment of a European Network of National Platforms and Focal Points for Disaster Reduction. The meeting in Basel built on the negotiations and the outcome of the Paris meeting in December 2006, organised by the French National Platform. Based on the discussions in Paris, common goals, specific objectives, a first work plan and a structure for the network were identified and form the agreement.

The agreement is seen as a consequent next step forward to establish a network of National Platforms and Focal Points on the regional level in Europe. First concrete working steps for the network were identified as:

The network is understood as an open evolving process where every National Platform and Focal point in Europe is most welcome. You are all invited to join. For your information please see the signed agreement as of April 23.

Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR)
http://gfdrr.org

The GFDRR is a unique long-term global partnership under the ISDR system established to develop and implement the HFA through a coordinated program for reversing the trend in disaster losses by 2015. The GFDRR complements and reinforces ongoing efforts of ISDR stakeholders in disaster reduction. It facilitates ownership by developing countries and augments the volume and effectiveness of donor partner support in disaster reduction.

The GFDRR’s mission is to mainstream disaster reduction and climate change adaptation in country development strategies, such as poverty reduction strategies (PRSs), country assistance strategies (CASs), United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs), and National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPAs), to reduce vulnerabilities to natural hazards. At the national and local levels, it also includes other sectoral development strategies that low- or middle-income countries may undertake to alleviate poverty and address sustainable growth.

The GFDRR’s mission is also to foster and strengthen global and regional cooperation among various stakeholders under the ISDR system, such as low- and middle-income country governments, international financial institutions (IFIs), UN agencies, research and academic institutions, intergovernmental organizations, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector, to leverage country systems and programs in disaster reduction and recovery.

To find out more, please visit: http://www.unisdr.org/eng/partner-netw/wb-isdr/wb-isdr.htm

The OECD was founded in 1961and its members now comprise 30 democratic nations with advanced market economies. It has active relationships with some 70 other countries, NGOs and civil society. The OECD’s work covers economic and social issues from macroeconomics, to trade, education, development and science and innovation, and it is best known for its publications and its statistics. Its basic aim is to promote policies to: (a) achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living in member countries, while maintaining financial stability; (b) contribute to sound economic expansion in all countries; and (c) contribute to the expansion of world trade on a multilateral, non-discriminatory basis in accordance with international obligations.

The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) (www.oecd.org/dac) is one of the key forums in which the major bilateral donors work together to increase the effectiveness of their common efforts to support sustainable development. The DAC Network on Environment and Development Co-operation (ENVIRONET) focuses on environmental issues at the interface of development co-operation and environment. Its mandate is to:

• Contribute to the formulation of coherent approaches to sustainable development in the context of the OECD cross-sectoral approach to sustainable development;
• Formulate specific guidance for development co-operation efforts in support of environment and sustainable development; and provide its members with a policy forum for sharing experience and disseminating good practice with regard to the integration of environmental concerns in development co-operation.