Outputs of the CROSSIT SAFER Project: research and cooperation to manage natural hazards

Cooperation between Civil Protection of conterminous administrations is fundamental because natural hazards do not stop at borders. Natural hazards, such as wildland fires, are prominent threats to human lives and activities, and they put under stress Civil Protection organisations when occurring. These organisations have for long being preparing protocols and procedures to face these hazards. Nonetheless, this expertise is not always shared between administrations. Bureaucratic barriers, different languages and the accessibility of the information can reduce the coordination before and during an emergency. In most cases personal goodwill of the operators solves the problems, but a formal agreement is preferable. A useful agreement should facilitate exchanges between Civil Protection organisations and foster research in natural hazards management. Common exercises, harmonisation of procedures and protocols, and applied research on risk assessment and planning are the tools to level up different organisations. This effort is of particular importance during wildland fires and across international borders. The CROSSIT SAFER Project, part of Interreg V-A Italia-Slovenija, aims at reinforcing the cooperation amongst the project partners. Nine partners located along the border between Italy and Slovenia joined to make the area more secure against natural hazards, with a focus on wildland fires and interface fires. The coordination between all the partners is mandatory in the specific area, due to the presence of an international border and the susceptibility of the area to natural hazards, including wildland fires. The project strengthened the bounds between Civil Protection organisations and it will yield new procedures and protocols to manage natural hazards. Thanks to common exercises, the signature of a formal protocol of agreement and the enhancement of procedures to assess, map, and observe natural hazards, the area will become more secure. The results will be of help to local administrators and to the Civil Protection organisations involved.