The July Flood of 2021 in Germany and its interactions with other crises
The July Flood of 2021 in Germany and its interactions with other crises

In the summer of 2021, we witnessed Western and Central Europe fall victim to extreme flooding. Germany was particularly affected, with the federal states of North Rhine-Wetsphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate suffering considerable damage. More than 180 people lost their lives as a result of this disaster. To make matters worse, the whole world was still in the middle of a pandemic, and Germany was no exception. The two crises were now intertwined.

Optimizing Search and Rescue Performance: SafeMyLife Mobile Application
Optimizing Search and Rescue Performance: SafeMyLife Mobile Application
Indonesia is located at the meeting point of three tectonic plates (i.e., Indo-Australian, Eurasian, and Pacific plates), thereby making it a high potential region for natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The time occurrence of these natural disasters is unpredictable despite having several known variables that can indicate when a disaster might happen. Due to the unpredictable nature of disasters, emergency resource allocation and response planning become a challenging task that must be addressed accordingly to maximize the survival rate.
Creativity and Collaboration in Crisis Providing Services to Vulnerable Populations amid a Global Pandemic
Creativity and Collaboration in Crisis Providing Services to Vulnerable Populations amid a Global Pandemic

This blog post will not only provide an overview of the strategies utilised by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Norway and Estonia but will also shine a light on the realities of the pandemic for certain segments of vulnerable populations.

Raising public resilience for crisis
Raising public resilience for crisis

A crisis always hits the society unexpectedly. One of the biggest issues in a crisis is that various vital and convenience services may be interrupted – we may have no power or Internet connection, we may have a flood, or the roads may become impassable for some reason.

Institutional innovations are necessary for dealing with crisis situations
Institutional innovations are necessary for dealing with crisis situations

The health care services offered by the public authorities and/or private providers play an important role in reducing the individual risk of serious illness or death. Through these functions, medical and health care service providers (general hospitals) protect the community social capital against losses of human life, severe sickness and disability.

Building resilience in Estonia and Indonesia through mobile positioning data
Building resilience in Estonia and Indonesia through mobile positioning data

We expect natural or man-made disasters and global crises to become more frequent, especially as climate change is creating more unpredictable future scenarios, making communities around the world vulnerable to the impact of different disasters. As a response, great efforts are made to develop modern tools to help build resilience. Within the BuildERS project, the potential of using mobile positioning data (MPD) for disaster management is being explored.

Fostering societal resilience in Europe – the role of The Horizon 2020 DRS01 Cluster
Fostering societal resilience in Europe – the role of The Horizon 2020 DRS01 Cluster

The Horizon 2020 programme priorities reflected on prime societal challenges faced by the global community.

The promotion of a civil protection culture in the schools as an effective way of prevention
The promotion of a civil protection culture in the schools as an effective way of prevention

The evident frequency of events requires the development of a Civil Protection model which institutionally involves school as an active factor directly interested in a social growth process.

The “Discovery” of Vulnerable Population Groups – And how their Needs are addressed
The “Discovery” of Vulnerable Population Groups – And how their Needs are addressed

In the years 2002, 2006, and 2013 the Elbe region, particularly within the area of the German federal state of Saxony, was hit by devastating floods.

Displacement from one's own home after a natural disaster: who are the most vulnerable to psychological distress?
Displacement from one's own home after a natural disaster: who are the most vulnerable to psychological distress?

When the Earth stops shaking, the survivors begin their journey back to lost normality. This blog will present an analysis focused on the post-earthquake emergency phase's psychological implications in the elderly, adolescents, and children populations.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: How to enhance resilience of populations at local and national level
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: How to enhance resilience of populations at local and national level
A few days ago, on the 13th of October, we all celebrated the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction acknowledging the importance of protecting lives, livelihoods and health and eliminating disaster risks – targets which are fully aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan in March 2015.
 Localised emergency alerting via messages and apps
Localised emergency alerting via messages and apps

There is a saying in Finland claiming that an accident does not come with a bell on its neck, but with mobile phones and the possibility to send real-time, localized alerts to people in the affected area, the impact of emergencies may be reduced significantly.