EU for Serbia Resilient to Disasters

Context:

Disasters can pose threat to human lives and affect Serbia’s economic and environmental standing, diminish the country’s development potential and constitute a risk to economic and social stability. INFORM Global Crisis Severity Index with an average score of 3.5 places Serbia in the group of medium-risk and rather stable countries. Although the applied INFORM methodology assesses Serbian vulnerability as moderately low, it still recognizes institutional and governance shortcomings (scored with 5.2) and DRR (5.7) as having undermining impact on the overall coping capacity. The critical problem of the Serbian Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management System is the fragmentation of the institutional framework, procedures, and insufficient capacities at the central and local level for adequate prevention, preparedness and response to emergency needs of the communities and population.

Expected results:

Infrastructural upgrades 

  • Central Command facility of the Sector for Emergency Management (SEM) of the Ministry of Interior reconstructed and equipped, and the Republic Information Centre established;
  • First Training Centre of civil protection units in the areas of prevention, response and recovery from the aftermath of natural and other disasters, established in Kraljevo;

Procurement of the equipment

  • Improved response to forest and wildfires through procurement of 27 firefighting vehicles and equipment;
  • Improved response and protection of Serbian health care personnel through procurement of 12 ambulance vehicles, 2 decontamination vehicles and 100 sets of highly protective suits;
  • Organised 15 cargo flights for emergency transport of 721 tons of medical equipment and supplies for combating COVID 19 induced epidemic;
  • Strengthened technical capacity of MRSS through procurement of specialized equipment, uniforms and  rescue vehicles;
  • Improved flood protection system on critical micro-locations on West Morava river through procurement of mobile dams;
  • Established first National Disaster Risk Register in line with EU standards for risk-informed urban and investment planning;

Capacity building activities 

  • 900 representatives of Local Self Governments (LSG), civil protection units, Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and members of the local communities trained on civil protection, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation;
  • Mountain Rescue Service of Serbia (MRSS) trained and accredited  for high-risk rescue operations in accordance with the EU standards;
  • Strengthened volunteering network and functioning of 900 civil protection members in 18 municipalities and cities of the West Morava Basin Cooperation;
  • Improved consultative process at a local level through engagement of CSOs in prevention and risk management decision-making processes. 
Last updated: March 29, 2024, 11:20