The findings of a major  € 7.6m+ EU-funded research project to enhance risk management partnerships set up to deal with catastrophic natural hazards in Europe are being used at EU, national and local levels.

The project, known as ENHANCE  says floods, droughts, wildfires, and volcanic eruptions are just some of the catastrophes that will cause increasing damage and costs in Europe if steps aren't taken to address the risk from natural disasters. Citing the recent flooding in the UK which wrought destruction and caused severe disruption to individuals and the national economy alike as an example,  Europe seems under threat from its environment.

However, ENHANCE says that while natural disasters can’t be prevented, preparation to mitigate the impact is essential, quality information and assessment of risk is key and partnership is fundamental. This lies at the core of the ENHANCE project, which aims to enhance risk management partnerships set up to deal with catastrophic natural hazards in Europe.

Working with 24 partners in 11 countries, the project is designed around 10 case studies on risk reduction of catastrophic events taking place at different geographical and spatial scales in Europe.

Multi-Sector Partnerships at the core of the project

At the core of the ENHANCE project are Multi-Sector Partnerships (MSPs). Ten MSPs were established or developed to bring together members of public and private organisations, including the financial sector, to work together to manage risks from natural hazards. In dealing with disasters in the past, one problem that became apparent was that agencies and organisations were working in silos; information exchange was limited thereby slowing down an adequate emergency response. With MSPs, ENHANCE is seeking to overcome this obstacle.

“Governments can’t do everything by themselves and the private sector has an interest in risk reduction,” according to Ralph Lasage, ENHANCE project coordinator. “They can play an important role when it comes to economically efficient measures to reduce risk. For example, if insurance companies provide good risk information, they can encourage people in a given area to take certain risk reduction measures and in turn reduce their premium. In that sense, reliable access to quality information can stimulate a positive response that makes economic sense for all stakeholders”.

Flood risk management for Rotterdam Port is a major success story

One of ENHANCE’s major success stories is the case study on ‘Flood risk management for Rotterdam Port infrastructure.’ The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe. The probability of the harbour flooding is low, but if it happens, the economic, social and environmental impact will be large and have an EU-wide effect.

Stakeholders including the Rotterdam municipality, the Port Authority, and private companies worked together to develop a multilayer risk reduction strategy, focusing on specific and measurable actions each can take to lower the risk.

The Rotterdam Port Authority, together with the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, has committed about €200,000 to further analyse the risk that climate change poses to the area, to increase awareness and stakeholder communication and to develop and adaptation strategy.

Beyond the Netherlands, the ENHANCE project has had both a European and international impact, with outcomes ranging from knowledge sharing to policy recommendations.

Several of the case study partners have given input to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognises that, while the State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk, responsibility should be shared with other stakeholders.

Lasage. “In fact, all case studies provide good examples of how the project has developed and shared knowledge with stakeholders — valuable intelligence they now need to act upon.”

The project, which started in December 2012, is due to conclude in November 2016.

The UK was one of 11 participating countries in ENHANCE - total cost of the project is €7,687,123, which includes an EU contribution of €5,992,084.