Results from science and research for better disaster protection

Disasters such as the recent floods in parts of Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania show that disaster risks must be further minimised and good disaster management by authorities and emergency organizations is essential. How this can be achieved in concrete terms and across Europe was the topic of the DRD24 as an international conference held in Vienna from October 8-10, 2024. The Disaster Research Days 2024 presented the latest results from EU and nationally funded research and innovative solutions in disaster management. Around 200 participants from across Europe attended the event. The organisers were the European Commission, the United Nations, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance and the Disaster Competence Network Austria.

The devastating floods in mid-September 2024, which caused damage amounting to several hundred million euros in Austria alone, impressively demonstrate that extreme weather events are increasing due to climate change. In addition, there are other risks, such as industrial accidents and health crises, which pose immense challenges for public safety organisations.

Stronger networking between science, authorities, and emergency organizations at the national and European levels is crucial to creating synergies and managing disaster risks more efficiently. Closer cooperation enables exchanging scientific findings and innovative solutions to be implemented more quickly in practice. This networking not only enables better information exchange but also a coordinated response to cross-border crises, which is particularly important in times of increasing climate risks. Initiatives such as the Disaster Research Days 2024 offer the ideal platform to deepen such cooperation and promote future-oriented approaches to disaster management.

The devastating floods of the last few weeks have shown in a shocking way how essential it is to anchor disaster protection even more firmly in science. Research plays a central role in developing sound political strategies that help us to be better prepared for disasters. With GeoSphere Austria, we as the federal government have created a central federal competence center for precisely this purpose,

emphasised Science Minister Martin Polaschek at the opening of the conference under the motto "Shaping the Future of Science and Research for Disaster Risk Reduction". He also highlighted the importance of the new Science Plan of the Disaster Competence Network Austria (DCNA), which is seen as an important step towards further strengthening the link between research and practice in disaster management.

New Science Plan as a basis for research on disaster protection

The Science Plan is the result of a comprehensive consultation process with experts from more than 40 scientific institutions, as well as representatives from authorities, emergency organisations, and industry, and includes many research questions and priorities that focus on social science analyses, technical innovations, ecological approaches and political frameworks.

Our goal is not only to respond to disasters, but to proactively anticipate them and minimise their impacts. To do this, it is essential to deepen scientific knowledge and make it accessible to political decision-makers, practitioners and the general public,

says Christian Resch, Executive Director of the DCNA. The Science Plan specifically defines research questions in the field of disaster protection and serves as a strategic guide to developing scientific findings in the coming years that focus on current and future challenges in disaster management - from prevention to crisis management to reconstruction. The first version of the document was presented at the Disaster Research Days 2024.

Research on the protection of critical infrastructures

A total of around 200 scientists, risk managers, political decision-makers, and emergency services from across Europe exchanged ideas at the discussion panels and presentations at the Disaster Research Days 2024. These interdisciplinary discussions are crucial to ensure that political frameworks and measures correspond to the latest scientific findings and thus offer effective solutions for current and future disaster risks. The range of discussion topics at DRD24 was very broad - from cooperation between science and politics to challenges in integrating innovative technologies, to building social resilience and protecting critical infrastructures.

The central funding program for applied research on protection against natural hazards in Austria is the KIRAS security research program, which is financed and organized by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF). BMF Department Head Andreas Reichhardt emphasises the concrete benefits of this research:

With the KIRAS projects, we create market-oriented research results that make users such as the police, fire brigade, rescue and aid organizations as well as operators of critical infrastructure fit for the future. By developing innovative technologies and concepts, we strengthen the security of our society in the face of increasing threats, growing networking and digitisation and promote domestic value creation.

European cooperation as the key to success

The Disaster Research Days 2024 took place within the framework of the Community for European Research and Innovation (CERIS) launched by the European Commission and were in line with the objectives of the EU research framework programme Horizon Europe, which aims to strengthen the European research and innovation landscape. The Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME) of the European Commission, whose Commissioner will in future be Magnus Brunner from Austria, plays a central role in this.

DG HOME promotes research initiatives and coordinates topics aimed at developing innovative approaches in the areas of security, crisis management, and civil protection. Ralph Hammer, Austrian representative in the programme committee for EU security research for Horizon Europe and head of the department responsible for KIRAS explains:

Horizon Europe serves as a catalyst for the development of innovative solutions to improve resilience to crises and disasters beyond the national level. The close cooperation between science, politics and practice and the intensive exchange between national and European research initiatives, such as those promoted during the Disaster Research Days, are essential to successfully meet the challenges of the 21st century and ensure a safe and sustainable future for all European citizens.

Whether in Austria or at EU level - science and technology are indispensable in disaster protection.

says TU Graz Rector and President of the DCNA, Horst Bischof.

With their research and the resulting innovations, the universities make a significant contribution to being prepared for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Events such as the Disaster Research Days 2024 would significantly strengthen the research community, Bischof continued. He sees the DCNA as a central networking facility for Austria, which makes a lasting contribution to the safety of all through the knowledge transfer it enables.

Photos: Christoph Gruber / BOKU University, Johanna Zweiger / DCNA