Risk reduction - natural and man-made disasters

The severity and frequency of natural disasters has risen steadily in recent decades, partly as a result of climate change, urbanisation, population growth and environmental degradation. Europe is a densely populated and economically developed continent, which means that when disasters hit they can hit very hard indeed and can also cause serious economic damage.

ACT

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: The post-2015 Hyogo Framework for Action - managing risks to achieve resilience (COM(2014) 216 final of 8.4.2014).

Council conclusions on the post 2015 Hyogo Framework for Action - managing risks to achieve resilience (June 2014) (see pp. 29-33).

SUMMARY

Average annual losses from natural disasters have risen from EUR 9 billion in the 1980s to more than EUR 13 billion in the 2000s. To address these alarming trends, prevention and risk management policies are essential.

The main focus of the European Union (EU) Civil Protection legislation is on preparedness and prevention policy and action. Domestically, the mechanism sets out new commitments to develop further risk assessments, the assessment of risk management capabilities, the use of peer reviews for EU countries to learn from each other in managing disaster risks and the knowledge and evidence base for disaster management. Innovative solutions for financing disaster prevention are also high on the agenda, including the use of insurance as a tool for disaster management and as an incentive to promote risk awareness, prevention and mitigation.

Disaster risk prevention and management considerations have been included in a number of key EU policies, including cohesion policy, health, environmental impact assessment, climate change adaptation, ecosystems, agriculture, food and nutrition security, water, flood risk management, major industrial accident prevention, risk financing, nuclear safety, transport, energy, research and innovation.

WHAT DOES THIS COMMUNICATION SAY?

The Commission has adopted a communication on the post-2015 Hyogo Framework for Action - managing risks to achieve resilience. Supported by Council conclusions, it supports a common EU position for the global negotiations at United Nations (UN) level on a new post-2015 Framework for Action for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Commission has built the recommendations based on the past achievements in disaster risk management of a range of EU policies, including civil protection, environmental protection, internal security, climate change adaptation, health, research and innovation and external action. These achievements are an important EU contribution towards building a coherent policy on disaster risk management at European and international levels.

Key proposals of the Commission

• 1.

  More transparency and better governance of the new post-2015 Hyogo Framework for Action: the Commission suggests governance standards, periodic peer reviews by countries and the collection and sharing of globally comparable data on disaster losses and hazards.

• 2.

  Focus on results: the Commission proposes the introduction of targets and measurable actions to reduce disaster risks.

• 3.

  Disaster risk-reduction measures should contribute to sustainable and smart growth: all major infrastructure and projects should be risk-sensitive and climate-and-disaster-resilient (i.e. should be built in such a way that they are as resistant as possible to withstand disasters). Innovative technologies and instruments to support disaster management should be further encouraged (the installation of early-warning systems, resilient infrastructure and buildings, green infrastructure, risk communication, etc.) in order to lead to increased business opportunities and contribute to green growth.

• 4.

  Special attention to the most vulnerable: the Commission also expects the new Hyogo Framework for Action to be more gender-sensitive and to target vulnerable groups, such as children, elderly people, persons with disabilities, the homeless and the poor. Particular attention should be paid to building resilience in all urban and vulnerable rural settings, as well as in coastal areas.

• 5.

  Alongside natural hazards, a comprehensive international framework should also address conflict and other forms of violence and state fragility (countries with weak state capacities and institutions), as well as technological risks (nuclear, for example), food and nutrition insecurity and epidemics.

BACKGROUND

The EU supports the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), which promotes disaster risk reduction and awareness worldwide. It also encourages the inclusion of disaster risk reduction in the post-2015 framework for poverty eradication and sustainable development. In this context, the European Commission issued in 2014 a communication on the post-2015 HFA - managing risks to achieve resilience. This contributed to shaping a common EU position during international negotiations on the renewed international (UN) framework for disaster risk reduction.

The HFA's ‘building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters’ is a 10-year plan adopted by 168 UN member countries that voluntarily committed to work on five priorities for action so as to make the world safer from natural hazards and to build disaster resilience. Covering the period 2005-15, the HFA is replaced by the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction, endorsed at the 3rd world conference for disaster risk reduction in Sendai (Japan) on 14-18 March 2015.

RELATED ACTS

Decision No 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism (Official Journal L 347 of 20.12.2013, pp. 924-947).

last update 08.12.2014