Operational Manual offers information on national systems in the Mediterranean

The EU-funded Civil Protection programme PPRD South has published a Civil Protection Operational Manual aimed at helping the EU Member States and Partner countries to improve their knowledge on the national civil protection systems in the Mediterranean, Turkey and four Balkan countries and on their capacities for effective disaster prevention, preparedness and response.

 A press release said the manual, developed in cooperation with the PPRD South Partner Institutions, starts with an overview on the exposure of the Mediterranean region to different disaster risks with detailed disaster statistics. It goes on to provide a full set of comprehensive information on the civil protection systems, including the legislative and institutional frameworks for civil protection affairs, the mandate, means and organization of the national civil protection authority. It also informs on 24-hour emergency contacts, and on existing international cooperation agreements. A specific chapter is dedicated to the Community Civil Protection Mechanism and its operating procedures to activate and coordinate international disaster assistance and civil protection cooperation.

Finally, an annexe provides a quick reference guide with key civil protection contact points in the PPRD South Partner Countries. The manual is a tool for professionals working in national civil protection authorities, in disaster risk management agencies or departments, and in other line ministries involved in disaster risk management. It is addressed also to other members of national disaster risk reduction platforms, as well as to the scientific community and volunteer organizations. This publication is expected to improve reciprocal awareness among the different national civil protection systems and actors in the Euro-Mediterranean region in order to facilitate preparedness cooperation and to ease requests and coordination of mutual assistance in case of crisis. 

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. 

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Download the Euro-Mediterranean Civil Protection Operational Manual 

PPRD South – website