EU Crisis Response Commissioner Georgieva to EuroFora: Science+Research to predict/prevent Disasters

Efficient Response to curiously growing recently Natural Disasters, such as Extreme Weather Events, (f.ex. Heatwaves, Floods, etc), as well as Earthquakes, etc., needs to boost breakthrough Scientific Research and Technological Innovation, agreed with "EuroFora" EU Commissioner on Crisis Response, Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, Kristalina Georgieva, in a joint Press Conference with EU Parliament's Rapporteur on Civil Protection Force and Disaster Response, Elisabetta Gardini, and the Head of the Italian Delegation Mario Mauro.

On this point, European and International Cooperation is crucial in practice, she added, including as example even USA's FEMA... (See infra).
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- "Concerning the Definition of "Response" : Could and should it also include Preparation, and, in particular, Scientific and Technological Research ?", asked "EuroFora" asked the competent EU Commissioner.

- "Because there are still many aspects f.ex. of Extreme Weather Events, such as exceptional Heatwaves, Floods, Storms, Earthquakes, etc., which are not yet scientifically well known, their real causes are not yet completely known", observed "EuroFora" from the outset.

- Indeed, "There are, at least, some parts wich are stilll unknown". Therefore, "may be, breakthrough Scientific Research and Innovative Technologic Solutions, could be particularly useful" there, we pointed out. In consequence, "do you think that something should and could be done also in this direction ?", we asked.

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- "In the forthcoming (EU Commission) Legislative proposal, we focus also on Preparation, in terms of <<Risk Analysis>> and deployment to respond to Disasters. And, in this sens, Yes, we (EU) do need to better Understand the Threats to our (EU) Citizens, and what we have in our Capacity to respond to these threats, as well as, what it is that we need to Understand Better", the competent EU Commmissioner Kristalina Georgieva replied positively to "EuroFora"s question.

 - "To give you ("EuroFora") one example : I met with the Administrator of FEMA, the Federal Administation for the United States' Emergency Management Agency. And in that discussion, he identified as a very important area for Cooperation between the USA and Europe, exactly in lifting the bar as we look at Risks", (i.e. something which obviously needs a quite good Scientific Knowledge and Technologic development to eventually face them).

+ Moreover, this includes even "preparing what he called <<the Unthinkable>>, i.e., "expanding our capacity to anticipate even Low Probability Risks, that may have very Huge Consequences".

- F.ex., "one example of such Risks, f.ex. in Italy, could be a Tsunami caused by an Earthquake under the Mediterranean Sea. The probability of such an event is very low. But the Destruction it could provoke is enormous !", Georgieva warned.

=> "Therefore we need to expand our Understanding and our Scientific Knowledge on Predicting these Risks, and also in Monitoring the EcoSystems, the Changes that are happening, that could give us a Better Indication for when it might be a Moment to Act". (...)

- "And I just want to repeat what I've said : We think "Response" in this Continuum : Prepareness, Prevention, Response, Rehabilitation, Learning Lessons, and Integrating them into how we prepare for Disasters", she concluded.
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+ "Another thing FEMA's head told me is that a Priority was to adapt USA's system so that it can receive International Assistance, because, as he said, "even us, the USA, we cannot assume that we are well prepared for any Disaster. And he gave an example : If p.ex. a whole City in the US is affected by Terrorist Attacks, then, the Rescue Teams they have in the U.S. may not be Sufficient", EU Commissioner added later to "EuroFora"

=> "So, what we are doing in Europe, is that we are trying to make it clear that Cooperation is the only way we can struggle in the face Increased Intensity and Frequency Disasters"

+ Also because "Europe is so Compact and so Densely Populated, that when a Disaster hits, the impact is quite Significant", she warned.

So, "while we (EU) don't have the Dramatic cycles of Myanmar, Bangladesh, or India, etc.", nevertheless, "when we (EU) have Floods, the impact can be quite Serious. When we have Summer-Heatwaves, it kills over 60.000 People", she denounced.

=> Therefore, "obviously we (EU) need to be better Prepared, in order to be able to respond, whenever we have trends of this nature. And that is why  Cooperation is so important, especially during Austerity, when Money is short, the only way we can act is to Pool Resources", she concluded.
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- "It is less well known that Europe today is an area where, per unit of Territory, and per Population, we have one of the Highest Intensities of Disasters", the competent EU Commissioner warned.

=> Thus, only "in the last 10 Years (2001-2011),     a Hundred Thousand of Europeans died by (so-called) "Natural Disasters", the largest number of people died during the 2003 Heatwave that affected Europe, (and particularly France), which costed us 150 Billions €", she denounced.

This apparently doesn't take into account also the 2010 Giant Heatwave which hit Russia's Capital Moscow and its most developed areas, killing Tens of Thousands of People, burning Forests and Fields, threatening High Tech Industries, Defense, etc.

- "So, Disasters are not just a problem for Pakistan, and Bangladesh, Haiti, etc. They are a problem for Europe, and, therefore, we (EU) need a Strong Capacity to Respond", which "directly benefits our Citizens"; Kristalina Georgieva stressed.

 - Indeed, "Disasters don't discriminate between Rich and Poor. Even the best prepared pupils in the class, and, f.ex. Japan was the best prepared, may be in need of International Assistance", she observed.

Therefore; "We are going to present a Legislation focused on "Response", but in the framework also of "Prevention", etc.          

 
=> "We want top have Pre-arranged, Pre-planned, Predictable Responses to Disasters, based into Integrating the Civil Protection systems of our Member States bottom-up".
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Georgieva spoke to "EuroFora" during and after a Press Conference together with EU Parliament's Rapporteur on "Civil Protection and Humanitarian assistance" a "stronger European disaster response"; Italian ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Elisabetta Gardini, as well as mainstream MEP Mario Mauro, Head of the Italian Delegation.

Gardini's Report calls for an efficient, and "not bureaucratic", "EU Civil Protection Force", with Solidarity and Cooperation between EU Member States, based on EU's Emergency Response Centre, with real time "Monitoring, including through use of Satellite data",  "mapping", etc.

The adopted Resolution stresses, in particular, that "relevant Scientific Research needs to be further Developed, with a view to improving Risk assessment mechanisms, systems of Prevention and means of Combating ... phenomena" such as, f.ex. "extreme Drought and forest Fires, (which) have increased in frequency and scale in Europe".

It's also in order "to combat Bio-Terrorism", that EU Parliament "calls.. on the (EU) Commission to launch a feasibility study on the merits of setting up, allocating European Research budget funding to, and naming European reference Laboratories".

Indeed, "Preventing disasters is often more Cost-effective than combating them; therefore, (MEPs) stress... the vital need to ....step.. up the EU’s and Member States’ Risk Prediction and prevention policies and encourages the Commission to prepare a(n)... Innovative EU strategy on disaster risk reduction; calls for sufficient resources to be dedicated to Early identification of Possible Disasters, and asks the Commission to ensure that the revision of the Structural Funds and the Solidarity Fund are used to encourage the development of ... Investments in these areas; furthermore, calls for improved Education on disaster prevention, investment in the prevention of disasters and climate change".