A proper forecast and alert system of risk is not sufficient to guarantee the safety of the involved communities and territories. Protecting them requires the implementation of integrated preparedness measures, including plans for risk prevention and mitigation as well as standard operating procedures at different levels. Careful planning requires the integration of different competences and the collaboration between stakeholders, in order to integrate local capacities and technical knowledge and establish an operative procedure that can be used as a basis for action of good territorial governance.
Department activities – The Planning and Procedures Department deals with the non-structural measures needed to define a civil protection plan, and with standard operating procedures necessary for its implementation, focusing on hydrogeological and hydraulic risks. Researchers work at the local, regional and national level to support public administrations in enhancing their capacity building and in identifying measures to mitigate the disaster risk and to adapt to future risks. The end goal is thus to support public administrations in enhancing local coping and adaptive capacity, enabling them to respond to the stress of a natural event.
Researchers developed an innovative methodology for civil protection planning with a participatory approach and carry forward the research in this field both in the Italian and in the international contexts. This methodology involves a collaborative process where citizens, technicians and stakeholders can work and discuss together, to better assess the local vulnerability and to identify the more efficient and adapted actions to be implemented during a meteo-hydrological event, but also during the peace period. This process becomes the key for building and strengthening local resilience and fostering better governance.
More recently the department has also begun to deal with climate change adaptation measures and their relationship with disaster risk reduction strategies and sustainable development.
The department is also engaged in themes of responsibility and liability of the civil protection operators also analysing the procedures of the responsible administrations for alert systems.
