12 September 2013

World Heritage city moves to secure its future

Source(s): United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Europe & Central Asia

DUBROVNIK – The UNESCO World Heritage Site city of Dubrovnik, globally celebrated for its rich past and environmental beauty, is taking steps to ensure its future is safeguarded from the threat of disaster.

The city, which has been an active member of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s (UNISDR) “Making City Resilient” campaign is taking a series of measures to strengthen resilience at the local level.

The Director General of the Croatian National Protection and Rescue Directorate, Mr. Jadran Perenic, told a forum of 60 disaster management practitioners and experts representing national and local authorities in Croatia: "To preserve our cultural heritage and ecosystems, disaster risk reduction shall be a priority for Croatia and our cities."

The city, which has been working in partnership with UNISDR and the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, is also sharing its expertise internationally including inputting to the post-2015 international framework for disaster risk reduction.

At the 2013 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Dubrovnik was a key participant in the Open Debate on such measures in South Eastern Europe. The city will also feature at the upcoming European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction in Oslo, Norway, 23-25 September.

Participants at the Dubrovnik forum also included Mr. Zeljko Raguzthe, Deputy Mayor of Dubrovnik, and representatives from the National Protection and Rescue Directorate, the Port Authority of Dubrovnik, the Public Fire Department, the Ministry of Interior, the Red Cross, the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, the Department of Emergency Medicine, the Dubrovnik County and City Protection and Rescue Services and local and national media.

The event was supported by UNISDR through the implementation of the regional project “Building Resilience to Disasters in Western Balkans and Turkey” co-financed by the European Commission through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance and co-implemented by the World Meteorological Organization.

In addition to Dubrovnik, Zagreb and Bjelovar are also members of UNISDR’s Making City Resilient Campaign in Croatia.