EU Civil Protection programme promotes good governance in disaster risk reduction

Good civil protection governance for effective disaster risk reduction will be the main theme addressed during a workshop on Civil Protection OrganisationalModels to be organised by the EU-funded Civil Protection programme in Geneva, Switzerland, on 14-16 February 2012.

A press release said that during the workshop, which includes a meeting with Margareta Walström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, 22 strategic planning experts from the national civil protection authorities of Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Tunisia and other countries, will discuss with the European Commission, United Nations and private sector experts, the key functions, responsibilities and organizational models of national civil protection organizations that help minimize human, economic and environmental losses due to disasters. Taking into account the challenges and priorities of disaster risk management in their countries, the participants will be able to learn the recent developments and trends concerning the organization of civil protection services, identify strengths and weaknesses of their organisations, learn from each other’s experience and discuss among them and with the experts possible improvements. 

The €5 million PPRD South Programme – which runs for three years and is managed by a consortium led by the Italian Civil Protection Department together with the French, Algerian, Egyptian Civil Protection Authorities and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) – is also organising training workshops dealing with risks in the region such as wild fires, technological disasters, floods, earthquakes, epidemics and drought, among others.