Policy objective: PO 2 - A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation and risk prevention and management

Specific objective: SO 4 - Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention, resilience, taking into account eco-system based approaches

Typology: Standard project

Short description of the project: The common challenge addressed by CROSS ALERT is to enhance performance for the prevention of disaster risk as well as the reduction of climate change risk, which altogether determine the need for a better coordinated response to natural disasters in the programme area, which faces common climate change challenges. These changes affect the whole area in terms of rising average temperatures, vulnerability to floods and natural disasters, thus indicating the need for further action to prevent natural risks in the long term. The vulnerability of the cross-border area and the need for cooperation was particularly revealed during the Karst cross-border fires in the summer of 2022 and during the recent floods in the summer of 2023, which affected a larger part of Slovenia and the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The expected changes include increased resilience and mitigation of risks related to natural disasters, as the project results will improve the preparedness of rescue units to respond to natural disasters, consequently reducing the risk for the population and the material impacts of disasters in the crossborder area. The project introduces two innovations, namely the implementation of a system of first responders with SOS points in the border area and the development of digital tools to support disaster management, damage limitation and recovery. The system of first responders is already well developed in Slovenia, but rarely used in the event of natural disasters in heavily accessible areas, on the other hand, it is still absent in Italy. The pilot implementation of an SOS point at the Slovenian-Italian border will transfer the first responders system to Italian partners as an example of good practice. Digital tools will include a hazard warning map, a remote sensing disaster scale detection system and an automated post-disaster recovery monitoring system. Volunteer management software will be developed for the needs of the civil defence in Veneto, allowing communication with similar systems in Friuli Venezia Giulia and Slovenia. The main outputs and outcomes of the project comprise a cross-border action plan for disaster prevention and disaster recovery support, pilot activities to improve the response of emergency responders in the event of natural disasters in the Italian-Slovenian area, and 6 organisations working together border-cross to enhance resilience to climate change and to the effects of natural disasters. Apart from the organisations already participating in the project, the outcomes will also benefit target groups outside the project partnership - other local and regional authorities, members of civil defense and rescue units and the local population in the programme area, since the project results will improve the preparedness of rescue units to respond to natural disasters, thereby reducing the risk to the population and diminishing the material consequences of disasters in the cross-border area. CROSS ALERT approaches the mentioned challenges by developing common strategies and tools for improving management and preventive measures so as to avoid and tackle the consequences of natural disasters in the Italian-Slovenian cross-border area. To that end, data on existing disaster prevention systems and measures will be analysed and an overview of the consequences of fires and floods will be elaborated, and digital tools will be developed to monitor areas at risk and to support disaster recovery. Local and joint action plans as well as tools will be developed for disaster prevention, disaster recovery support and disaster management. The developed solutions will be tested in pilot activities and shared with civil defense and rescue units and other stakeholders outside the project partnership by means of training workshops and a joint cross-border exercise. The necessity for cross-border cooperation stems from the fact that natural disasters know no national borders. The consequences of such events often affect populations over a wider area, which goes beyond borders, a first-hand experience by both residents and responders in the programme area during the recent storms. Effective and timely response to natural disasters in the cross-border area therefore requires cooperation and coordinated action by all civil defense actors in neighbouring countries.