This activity line aims to improve the knowledge of the exposure of the Mediterranean region to natural and man-made disasters, and of the existing capacities for prevention, preparedness and response. This result will be achieved through:

• the review in collaboration with the PPRD South Partner Countries, of the different types of risks either at national or at regional level,
• the compilation of national and regional risk maps and
• the preparation of a Civil Protection Operational Manual.

In the previous phases of the Programme, the Mediterranean Partner Countries expressed the need to further develop their capacities in risk assessment. Conducting a risk assessment is based on both a review of the technical features of hazards (location, intensity, frequency, probability) and on the analysis of the physical, social, economic and environmental dimensions of vulnerability and exposure (e.g. distribution of population, strategic infrastructures, natural resources, and potentially dangerous areas), while taking into specific account the capabilities required to cope with different risk scenarios.

Although hazard analysis and maps have been already developed to some extent in the region, vulnerability has yet to be dealt with in most of the partner countries.

A proper data and information exchange mechanism on prevention, preparedness and response to disasters among the Programme’s stakeholders - international organisations, National Civil Protection Authorities, scientific and research institutions, universities - is key to the implementation of this activity package.

The PPRD South will seek to facilitate the process for data and information collection and exchange by developing a regional web based cooperative mechanism finalized at the production of the risk review, the risk maps and the Manual.

These three products will be available in electronic format on the PPRD South web Portal and in particular the risk maps and the Regional Risk Atlas will be based on the development of a federative, multi-level Geographical Information System (the PPRD South Web GIS).

The PPRD South GIS will be implemented through the adaptation to the Mediterranean context of the Italian Spatial Data Infrastructure for Civil Protection. Then, the existing open international sources of data and information on risk, vulnerability and exposure (EM-DAT, DEVINFO, etc.) will be assessed in cooperation with UNISDR and integrated in the PPRD South GIS, and subsequently made available to the PPRD South partner countries.

Based on the preliminary results achieved, the PPRD South partner countries will assess the feasibility of a further development of the spatial data infrastructure for hazard and vulnerability assessment through the integration of additional available national data, risk maps and other relevant information.

The PPRD South will provide interested Programme’s partner countries with the necessary support and technical assistance for the development of their respective pilot national spatial data infrastructure.

The Civil Protection Operational Manual will include the following main information, which will be collected in close cooperation with the Programme’s National Correspondents:

• List of national competent authorities in the PPRD South partner countries – including contact details – to which request and provide assistance in case of major disaster, 24H Operational Centres, National Correspondents;
• List of any National Platforms members, Disaster Risk Reduction focal points and key national institutions dealing with the topic;
• Country profile of the PPRD South partner Countries, including existing legislation, history of disasters, risk assessment, volunteer organizations, scientific and research institutions, etc.;
• Outline of the Community Civil Protection Mechanism and framework and operating procedures for coordination and cooperation.