International-European PlugIn Exercise 2022 INT-EU PIX 22

Project’s name:

International-European PlugIn Exercise 2022

Project start:

01.03.2022

Project duration:

24 Months
(in case of COVID-19 related delays – 36 Months)

the Project Coordinator:

the European University of Cyprus (EUC/CYP)

the Project Partners:

  1. Norwegian Directorate of Civil Protection (DSB/NOR),
  2. Resilience Solutions International (RSI/AUT),
  3. Prepared International UG (PPI/GER)
  4. D.M.A.T. Consulting KG (DMAT/AUT).

The Project tasks:

The task of the consortium is to implement a UCPM (EU Civil Protection Mechanism) support module in a planned large-scale exercise for disaster management.
In this project, a 3-day (24/7) plug-in exercise (PIX) is designed, planned, implemented and evaluated outside of Europe in a country with different emergency management structures (e.g. other structures, response mechanisms, culture and climate conditions).

Based on the European Commission’s final decision, the PIX will take place either in South Asia/Nepal involving Asian Disaster Preparedness Center/ADPC, or West Africa/Ghana or Cabo Verde involving Economic Community of West African States / ECOWAS, or East Africa /Djibouti involving Intergovernmental Authority on Development / IGAD.

The background of the plug-in exercise:

The UCPM is often activated for dealing with emergencies outside the European Union. Most of the UCPM exercises conducted to reflect this often use fictitious scenarios and artificial countries to simulate the response environment. Although these exercises are needed, they do not necessarily provide the true nature of real deployments. At the same time, disaster management exercises outside Europe take place worldwide every year. This could allow for opportunities to join, i.e. plug-in to, planned large-scale exercises involving a multi-organisation response by providing an EUCPT, modules and/or other response capacities.

The overall objective of the Mechanism is to strengthen the cooperation among Member States in the field of civil protection for preventing, preparing for and responding to natural and man-made disasters. Any country in the world overwhelmed by a disaster can call on the Mechanism for support. By pooling the civil protection capabilities of the Member States, the Mechanism can ensure better protection primarily of people, but also of the natural and cultural environment and of property.

The Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) is the operational heart of the Mechanism. It is operated by DG ECHO and is operational 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

The project objectives:

  1. test and improve the coordination of the UCPM response assistance, and ultimately to establish a common understanding in major emergencies.
  2. improve interoperability, coordination, communication, reporting and logistical arrangements in civil protection assistance with the different response capacities, national authorities, local emergency management authorities, humanitarian actors and other agencies with a role in emergency response.
  3. improve the field cooperation between EUCPT and UNDAC.
  4. enhance the cooperation with the EU Delegation(s), DG ECHO Field Office and EU Member States embassies in the region or country affected.
  5. develop and implement a safety and security plan for an emergency response outside EU.
  6. strengthen the understanding of Host Nation Support and introduce the EU HNS guidelines

HEUREKA (UCPM-2020-KN-AG)

UNION CIVIL PROTECTION MECHANISM
Network partnerships
(UCPM-2020-KN-AG)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: HEUREKA

Civil Protection Knowledge Partnership Platform Middle East

Project’s Logo

 

Project start:

01.01.2021

Duration:

18 months

Coordinator:

Federal Government of Styria, (AUSTRIA)

Consortium/Project’s Partners:

  • Disaster Competence Network Austria, DCNA (AUSTRIA)
  • Cyprus Civil Defence, CCD (Cyprus)
  • European University Cyprus, EUC (Cyprus)
  • Lebanon Reforestation Initiative, LRI (Lebanon)
  • Urban Planning and Disaster Risk Reduction Center, Al-Anjah National
    University, Nablus, ANNU (Palestine)

supporting Experts as Subcontractors of the coordinator

  • Resilience Solutions International (AUSTRIA)
  • D.M.A.T. Consulting KG/(AUSTRIA)
  • Prepared International (GERMANY)

Background:

The risk landscape for Europe and its neighbors has been subject to significant changes over the recent years. Europe and its neighbors face a wide range of disaster risks, many of which become progressively more prevalent and urgent to tackle. These risks turn more and more often to disasters such as wildfires, floods, earthquakes, storms, heat waves, large-scale medical emergencies and technological accidents that affect increasingly higher numbers of people, infrastructure, properties, cultural heritage and the environment. Climate change further exacerbates the risks and increases the exposure to and the vulnerability of people and assets to damage. At the time of drafting this Call, the pandemic caused by the COVID19 virus is showing our vulnerabilities drastically.
The majority of disaster risks are cross-border that threaten entire regions and can affect multiple countries simultaneously. In a world that becomes increasingly interconnected risks also tend to become cross-sectoral touching upon various thematic disciplines at once.

Union Civil Protection Mechanism Knowledge Network:

The UCPM Knowledge Network[1]  was established through the revised Union Civil Protection
Mechanism legislation and it is foreseen as a platform for better data collection, increased flow of information, innovation, improved sharing of knowledge, expertise and skills and consolidated scientific evidence through cooperation, partnership and networking.
Vision: strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the collective civil protection and disaster management efforts in all phases of the disaster cycle.
Mission: bringing together civil protection and disaster management actors and institutions to improve the overall knowledge situation and foster the disasters.

[1] ec.europa.eu/echo/what/civil-protection/knowledge-network_en

Objectives:

The Civil Protection Knowledge Partnership Platform Middle East will bridge across knowledge holders relevant to disaster management actors, to enhance coordination, cooperation, compatibility and complementarity between capacities and will improve the competence of experts. Key objective will be to facilitate the cooperation between civil protection actors and humanitarian aid providers. For this, the example of the International Humanitarian Partnership will be studied and long-term relation established. The project will collect and share knowledge, experience, expertise, skills, competence, lessons learnt, and best practices in close cooperation with civil protection and disaster management authorities as well as knowledge holders from the public and private sector, to stimulate research and innovation and a shared understanding of prevention, preparedness and response.

The specific objective of the project is to support new and consolidate existing partnerships in civil protection and disaster risk management in the Middle East that enhance cooperation and synergies in prevention, preparedness and response. Disaster Risk Management actors of the Middle East will be connected with their counterparts inside the European Union. In addition, the cooperation between civil protection and the humanitarian community will be strengthened following the role-model of the International Humanitarian Partnership.
The Civil Protection Knowledge Partnership Platform Middle East will consider scenario-based approaches, whereby civil protection and disaster risk management actors come together and team up to exchange good practices, knowledge and expertise under specific disaster risk scenarios.