Local Level Resilience and Pandemic Risk
Tuesday 13 October, 16:30 to 18:00
European Week of Regions and Cities 2020 – Virtual Workshop
You are warmly invited to this virtual workshop, organised by the Committee of the Regions Natural Resources Commission and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, in partnership with the Center for European Volunteering. The event will bring together local (cities and municipalities) and regional representatives to share their experience in building local resilience in the face of a complex risk landscape, recently exacerbated by the pandemic outbreak.
Deadline for registration is 27 September 2020
With over 75% of citizens now living in urban settings across Europe, cities and regions are more than ever on the frontline when a disaster strikes. The dramatic impacts of the global pandemic struck at the heart of our local settings, across all regions of the EU. Governments at all levels, and in particular local and regional authorities, have been called upon to provide emergency services, coordinate efforts and mitigate as far as possible the impact on economies. In an effort to contain the impacts of the virus, local authorities have taken various measures in addition to national measures, to reduce the existing risk and prevent future risk associated with biological hazards. The role of local initiatives and processes, such as volunteering networks, has been critical in responding to the immediate needs and recovery efforts. At the same time, cities and regions continue to face risks in their local contexts, which make the landscape of risk particularly complex and increase the vulnerability of citizens, vital systems and economies.
Speakers will represent Municipalities and Regions across Italy, Sweden, France and Spain, with two key Members of the Committee of the Regions' Natural Resources Commission, as well as representatives of the United Nations and the center for European Volunteering.
Discussions will enable us to draw some good practices and lessons learnt and give critical attention to a topic at the heart of local authorities’ strategies for resilience and disaster risk reduction, and the role of societal resilience through volunteer engagement.