This Destination supports the implementation of international policy frameworks (e.g. the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals), EU disaster risk management policies tackling natural and man-made threats (either accidental or intentional), European Green Deal priorities including the new EU Climate Adaptation Strategy COM(2021) 82 final., as well as the Security Union Strategy[[COM(2020) 605 final.]] and the Counter-Terrorism Agenda[[COM(2020) 795 final.]] .
The increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events (e.g. floods, heat and cold waves, storms) and associated events (e.g. forest fires) resulting from climate change compounded vulnerabilities and exposure require a specific research focus while geological hazards (e.g. earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions) and slow-onset trends (e.g. sea-level rise, glacier melt, droughts) also deserve a continuous attention. Anthropogenic threats also demand strengthened crisis management capacities, as shown by recent industrial accidents and terrorist attacks associated with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive materials (CBRN-E). Finally, the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated how societies have become more exposed and vulnerable to pandemic risks and has shown that existing global inequalities often exacerbate both the exposure and vulnerability of communities, infrastructures and economies.
