IPA Flood and Fires
IPA FLOODS AND FIRES - EU SUPPORT TO FLOOD PREVENTION AND FOREST FIRES RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE WESTERN BALKANS AND TURKEY
Officially launched in November 2020, the EU Support to Flood Prevention and Forest Fires Risk Management in the Western Balkans and Turkey (IPA FF) is a Program of the European Commission, Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO). It aims at improving capacities for flood and forest fire risk management in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey with a 5 million euros budget and an action that unfolds for 36 months.
ABOUT PROGRAM
Over the past few years, the Western Balkans and Turkey suffered from several natural disasters. In the next future, such events, also triggered by climate change, will likely become more frequent, unpredictable and significant in magnitude. Acknowledging these challenges, relevant authorities in the region are increasingly putting their efforts into improving capacities to prevent, reduce the impact of and respond to such events.
IPA Floods and Fires, an EU - funded program, aims at improving capacities for flood and forest fire risk management in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.
With a 5 million euros budget and an action that unfolds for 36 months (2020-2023), it is based on a highly participatory and consultative approach, strong local ownership, sustainability measuresand a regional perspective combined with Partnerspecific capacity development approaches.
By fostering regional cooperation and exchange of good practices, the IPA Floods and Fires implementing Consortium collaborates with the local authorities of civil protection and other local institutions and agencies involved in flood and forest fires risk management. Together they contribute to improving the legal and institutional framework related to the EU Floods Directive (EUFD), institutional coordination among all actors involved in the EUFD implementation, and strengthening prevention, preparedness, and capacity to respond to forest fires at local, regional and EU level.
The Program is structured into seven work packages, divided into two components:
1. Floods:
1.1: Capacity building for Flood Risk Management Planning according to the EUFD
1.2: Capacity building for common transboundary Flood Risk Management Planning
1.3: Support for the development of procedures to include flood early warnings into local and central emergency response plan
2. Forest fires:
2.1: Technical assistance for forest fires risk assessment and risk management capabilities for forest fires
2.2: Support for the development of Ground Forest Firefighting (GFFF) civil protection modules
2.3: Support for the establishment of Border Crossing and Host Nation Support (HNS) protocols in line with the EU Guidelines on HNS
2.4: Organization of table-top exercises and a regional field exercise for the established GFFF modules.
Contracting Authority: European Commission – Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO)
Duration: 3 years (2020-2023)
Budget: 5 million Euros
Consortium:
- Civil Protection Department (DPC), lead, Italy
- Fire Rescue Brigade of Moravian-Silesian Region (FRB-MSR), Czech Republic
- CIMA Research Foundation (CIMA), Italy
- Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (URSZR), Slovenia
- Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), Sweden
- General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), Romania
- National Center for Disaster Management Foundation (CN APELL-RO), Romania