CMCC facilitates a Wildfire Peer Review in Italy within the Union Civil Protection Mechanism
From May 20th to May 24th, 2024, a European team of experts, supported by the European Commission and CMCC, is taking part in an on-site mission to Italy.
Their objective is to assist local authorities through a Thematic Peer Review focused on the wildfire risk management system in the country, aiming at providing recommendations to enhance it.
The Italian Civil Protection Department requested a Peer Review of wildfire risk management capabilities under the UCPM (Union Civil Protection Mechanism) Peer Review Programme in September 2023. Under this framework, the European Commission's Directorate General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) supports Member States, Participating States to the UCPM, eligible Third Countries and the European Neighbourhood Policy countries to review their disaster risk management (DRM) policies and practices by taking stock of strengths and weaknesses, and putting forward recommendations to increase their effectiveness.
In the week of May 20th - May 24th, 2024, five experts (peers) selected by the European Commission from Spain, Portugal, France, and the Czech Republic will participate in an on-site mission to Italy to support the local authorities in strengthening resilience against forest fire risk.
Besides identification of good practices and strengths already in place, the review will provide the Italian authorities with recommendations to further advance the wildfire risk management system and improve risk management capabilities, by suggesting better approaches to policy and operations. Moreover, it will facilitate mutual learning and exchange of good practices, and raise awareness among local stakeholders.
The wildfire peer review in Italy will focus on the overall risk governance as well as the preparedness and the response phases. Special attention will be devoted to analyzing the coordination and the collaboration synergies between the national and the regional level in the wildfire risk management. The Italian Civil Protection Department has successfully engaged a number of key national stakeholders and regional authorities to support the review process.
CMCC experts from the Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategies division are taking part in this on-site mission to Italy serving as facilitators for the implementation of the Peer Review. This role mirrors their involvement in previous disaster risk management Peer Reviews conducted in Romania (2022), Moldova (2023), and Greece (2024). With the aim of supporting the peers, they will participate in multi-stakeholder meetings with public authorities, civil society organizations, academic and private sector entities, and collect views and information on managing wildfire risk in the country.
Based on an independent analysis, Wildfire Peer Reviews are a strategic tool for strengthening resilience against wildfires at the European, national, and sub-national level, with the primary objective to exchange knowledge through independent analyses conducted by experts from UCPM countries.
The process will conclude with the preparation of a final report that will be handed over to the Italian government.