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• Intensified education and greater financial
responsibility for heads of local self-government units
to raise awareness of their responsibilities to protect
populations, property and the environment in all of
the planning and development projects in their areas
• Further strengthening of all activities aimed at
disaster risk reduction in all areas and with all
actors, with financial support for projects focused
on protection and rescue systems
• Participation of the Platform in the European
Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, raising it
to international level with annual sharing of
experiences with other members (Croatia co-chairs
the Forum in 2011 and chairs it in 2012).
Building an effective response system
Croatia makes every effort to achieve the objectives set
out in the Hyogo Framework for Action. Risks are iden-
tified and documented in assessments and risk mapping
up to national and regional levels. In May 2009, the
National Protection and Rescue Directorate conducted a
disaster and major accident threat assessment for popu-
lations, property and cultural heritage of the Republic.
The assessment, which was carried out in collabora-
tion with central state administration bodies, public
companies and national administrative organizations,
represents a fundamental tool for drafting action plans
for all participants of the protection and rescue system,
from central state administration bodies to opera-
tional forces (firefighters, civil protection, legal entities
involved in protection and rescue activities and citizens’
associations), as well as for local self-government units
in drafting their threat assessments.
Comparison of the Croatian Threat Assessment with
risk assessments of the European countries and the EU
Risk Assessment Guidelines of 21 December 2010 is a
good place to start but a great amount remains to be
done. In contrast to the threat assessments for natural
and man-made disasters in EU member states, the
Croatian assessment is a mere list of threats present in
Croatia. The risk assessment process should include
risk reduction indicators as well, which then need to be
followed and checked regularly in order for the process
to be measurable and efficient. To this end it is also
necessary to set early warning systems that would signal
indicators related to heightened risk, as well as public
information systems to ensure correction of errors. In
the field of risk reduction, the most significant part-
ners to the National Protection and Rescue Directorate
(DUZS) are the Croatian Waters Company and the
Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ),
which warns of weather-related disasters at several
levels. Last year, in collaboration with the Network
of European Meterorological Services, the Croatian
Meteorological and Hydrological Service introduced
the early warning system
Meteoalarm
as a network tool
for interested users.
In the Republic of Croatia, databases are developed
by central state administration bodies. DUZS data-
institutions), citizens’ associations and religious communities. A
total of 51 professional and scientific papers were registered for the
conference. Several papers addressed emergency management and
strengthening of response capacities, emphasizing strengthening of
cooperation and interoperability of different types of responders in
complex situations.
The Second Conference of the Croatian Platform was held on 14
October 2010. The conference was opened by Minister of the Interior
Tomislav Karamarko and the special envoy of the Prime Minister of
the Government of the Republic of Croatia, Jadranka Kosor. Papers
by 41 authors covered management in emergency situations; climate
change, extreme weather conditions and necessary adjustments;
early warning and capacity development for response to emergency
situations and disasters; theory and practice of science in reducing
disaster risk; raising awareness on hazards and safety culture devel-
opment (education, role of media and promotional activities); and
international cooperation in disaster risk reduction. Guests included
the heads of protection and rescue services from the countries of
the region (Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia
and Macedonia).
Margareta Wahlström, the UN Assistant Secretary General for
Disaster Risk Reduction, addressed the conference, stressing the
importance of establishing a national platform for disaster risk
reduction, especially the adjustment of response to risks caused by
climate change.
The conference concluded that action was needed in the follow-
ing areas:
• Further strengthening of cooperation, strategic planning and
management of natural disaster risk reduction at national level
in the Republic of Croatia, while continuing to build on the
existent institutional framework, as well as strengthening the
role of the National Protection and Rescue Directorate
• Evolution of the Platform into a national mechanism, ensuring
coordination and support to all involved in the implementation
of strategic planning for and management of natural disaster risk
reduction
• Support for all existing actors in the field of natural disaster
risk reduction in Croatia, including the National Protection and
Rescue Directorate, Meteorological and Hydrological Service,
Croatian Seismological Survey, competent ministries and rele-
vant public companies, Croatian Red Cross, civil society and the
business community
• A headquarters role for, and raised public and media awareness
of, the 112 system within the National Protection and Rescue
Directorate and linkage of all emergency services to the single
European emergency 112 call number, along with real-time
collection and distribution of information through hydrological,
meteorological and seismic networks of supervision, with the
establishment of an integrated system of horizontal and vertical
links between all disaster risk reduction actors
• Adaptation to climate change in the region, with more
investment in climate mapping, forecasting and analysis so as to
provide support for planning in risk-exposed sectors
• Joint activities of the National Protection and Rescue
Directorate, Meteorological and Hydrological Service,
Croatian Seismological Survey, relevant ministries, Croatian
Red Cross, professional organizations and individuals to
introduce the topic of natural disaster risk reduction into
national curricula