Efficient management in emergency situations in the cross-border region Calarasi-Veliko Tarnovo

Тhe common challenge of the programme area that are jointly tackled in the project: The cross border region of Bulgaria and Romania is a dynamically developing Danube region with variety of activities such as Industrial, transport-logistic, agricultural, tourism, cultural and educational sectors. However certain economical and natural disproportionalities are in place and the settlements in the region are highly vulnerable and dependent onto natural and manmade hazard. The district of Veilko Tarnovo is very rich of water resources and floods occur often putting in danger the population and the economic situation. Many rivers in the region go through the settlements and are creating risks of real life-threatening if not reported on time. In Calarasi County, more than 1,000 interventions of Inspectorate for Emergency Situations took place over the past 10 years while the overall damage caused by floods and fires, as well as snowstorms or earthquakes in the region amounts to millions of euros. Calarasi County Gendarmerie Inspectorate, besides the support in the evacuation of persons must also ensure the salvage of the goods, together with the transport of emergency aids as well as the security and guarding of the evacuated areas and the perimeter quarantine areas.
The common challenge in the cross-border region is the lack of effective risk management, which is a process of identifying, evaluating, selecting, implementing and monitoring actions taken to mitigate levels of risk.In order to achieve these objectives, the Gendarmerie Inspectorate needs the acquisition of specific facilities.
The project main objective aims “To bring together the people, communities and economies of the Romania-Bulgaria border region to participate in the joint development of a cooperative area, using its human, natural and environmental resources and advantages in a sustainable way”. The specific objective is to improve the joint risk management in the cross-border region to ultimately increase the protection of environment and population in the cross-border area against the natural and man-made hazards, thus contributing to the achievement of programme indicators. The project aims to improve the safety in the cross-border region through implementation of joint partnership in the field of early warning and emergency response mechanisms and prevention of acknowledged natural hazards trough equipment for hazard management and disaster resilience.
The project is developed in line with the present call and aims to address the programme output indicator implementing 9 joint partnerships (Output indicator I18) in the field of early warning and emergency response systems. It is precisely in order to solve the challenges that the development of the present project is planned in accordance with the specific Objective 3.1 of the program: “To improve joint risk management in the cross-border area” and to the Output indicator I16 - Population benefiting from flood protection measures.
Project approach envisages activities such as:
- strengthening the river beds in Pavlikeni will be carried out through the project: Repair and rehabilitation works to improve the conductivity of the riverbed of rivers MIhalska and Lomya. Repair and restoration work to improve the conductivity of the riverbeds includes. It is envisaged that the felling of trees and shrubs should be cleaned, together with heavy materials out of the river. Riverbeds will be fixed and aligned in order to limit spils.
- purchasing of specialised intervention equipment: an off-road vehicle equipped with low-visibility cameras (infrared or thermal) - It will be used to intervene in emergency situations both for saving people and animals, and can be easily used for observation of houses, insurance and limitation of crimes against property, a vehicle with specialized equipment for river bed cleaning and maintance, motorized boats equipped with cameras with reduced visibility (infrared or thermal camera) for intervention and guarding in flooded areas, thus ensuring access from the water, a GPS map workstation and application to map flood or fire hazard areas, which will also serve to monitor real-time intervention areas and staff intervention. The data collected to be used to improve future interventions and disaster response plans.
- training and exchange of best practices in the emergency situation field.
- awareness raising campaigns for the cross-border population on the hazards and risk and on the measures for their mitigation, management, reduction and cleaning.
- Joint exercises will be organized and joint partnerships will be developed and signed by both regions.The project results will contribute to a better protection of the population in the two regions in emergency situations by both prevention and intervention actions and the benefit population will be over 300 000 people.
The project approach is based on mutual understanding, fast and open communication and will provide a co-operative environment where both sides will be able to achieve their planned activities and will be able to learn from each other’s experience.
Using an indicative budget of 1 000 000 euro all project activities will be carried out in accordance to national and EU legislation.
Putting in place of Joint early warning and emergency response system. Exchange of best practices and experiences: Calarasi County has wider experience in fighting natural disasters as the region is closer to a bigger river and the risk exposure is higher. In that relation the counties administration has developed different response mechanisms and practices to be shared with the counterparts. Exchange of best practice is consistent of onsite study visits and development of joint training materials in both Bulgarian and Romanian experts who are responsible for environmental and civil protection.
The new approach and expected result from the project is the creation of the joint network of Partners for joint early warning and emergency response, exchange of experience thought joint trainings in the two sides of the border as a result of Joint Action plan, as well as awareness raising campaigns for the population in case of emergencies. Through effective planning, forecasting and preparation, we can all help prevent floods or substantially reduce the loss of lives and property when they occur.We can speak about an integrated marketing communication because we are dealing with a continuous communication with the society and with gaining a sense of trust from the citizens.R3.1 - The quality of the joint risk management in the CBC areaThe programme result indicator is aimed at quality of the joint risk management in the CBC area and targets the satisfaction degree of the stakeholders.
Flood and fire risk management is the process of identifying, evaluating, selecting, implementing and monitoring actions taken to mitigate levels of risk.
The goal of the Joint Risk Management mission is to reduce flood risk by saving lives and reducing property damage in the events of floods.
The realization of this project will contribute directly of the efficient management of emergency situations and the population of the cross border region will suffer less damage generated by emergency situations.
Through effective planning, forecasting and preparation, the project will help prevent floods and fire or substantially reduce the loss of lives and property when they occur. The quick emergency response to floods and fire also helps the economy by preventing or reducing damage to businesses.
The residents and businesses from Romania and Bulgaria, representatives of different landowners as well as flood reception on the different levels of flood-risk management, producers and entrepreneurs in the target region will directly benefit from the project implementation. They are among the most affected groups of the population due to the considerable damage of destroyed arable land, roads and transport facilities. Their state will be improved through risk management in a sustainable way.
The representatives of the public institution with responsibilities in emergency situation management, as Public Authorities, Emergency Situations institutions (civil protection and fire fighting), Police Departments, Environmental Agencies will be drawn in the project implementation as associate's partners but are fully responsible for the operational activities in case of crisis situations, accidents and disasters. Effective disaster management relies on through integration of emergency plans at all levels of government and non-government involvement.
The special categories of the target public represent those institutions and public bodies that could influence the attitude of the population in the affected area as well as contribute directly in helping by humanitarian gestures such as goods donation, money collecting etc. It is therefore very important that the mentioned groups should be included in the project and benefit from the information that will be gathered, processed and published.