On 13 October during the CoR's Plenary Session the Members debated the problem of natural disasters: responding to emergencies and building resilience in cities and regions with Mr Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management. Natural disasters are becoming more common, extreme and complex, and their severity is influenced by climate change. On behalf of the EA Group Mr Dariusz Strugała, Mayor of Jaraczewo (PL) said that natural disasters are becoming more common, extreme and complex, and their severity is influenced by climate change. The devastating floods and fires that wreaked havoc in Europe this summer have clearly demonstrated the need to develop prevention, preparedness and response in conjunction with actions for adaptation to climate change and ecological transformation.
"As the mayor of a commune in Poland, I have personally seen how important it is to create efficient and effective procedures in the event of a crisis situation. In August 2017, a storm passed through my commune which devastated of the commune's area. Half an hour was enough for the residential buildings to disappear from the map of the commune and farming, agricultural crops, parks and forests. At that moment, especially in the first hours after the storm, our actions were a bit chaotic, we acted intuitively to secure damaged property as soon as possible, trying to restore normality. After this, you can say it was a practical exam, we are building a new the system of responding to crisis situations," said Mr Strugała.
He also added: "This situation also made me realize how much we underestimate the role of prevention. We do not think enough ahead, focusing on current, often apparent activities and savings. A huge problem is the insufficient percentage of insured property. In the event of a natural disaster, this means that it is the state that has to bear the burden of liquidating the damage. "The resilience of cities and regions to natural hazards can be enhanced if disaster risk management is also integrated into other policy areas such as climate change adaptation, public health, land use, urban planning and infrastructure or adjusting construction standards to threats and strengthening the role of construction supervision. Managing the risk of natural disasters, large-scale preventive actions, education - these are the challenges we face."
