OECD Reviews of Risk Management Policies: Italy 2010
Review of the Italian National Civil Protection System
Recent years have seen a steep increase in the frequency and economic impacts of disasters, and Italy has been no exception. In addition to increased seasonal variance linked to climate change, the devastating earthquakes around L’Aquilla in 2009 make Italy a case study for policy-makers, emergency management practitioners, academics and international organisations who are searching for solutions, notably in the areas of disaster damage reduction policies. The Italian civil protection system offers a rich source of best practices for their consideration. The National Department of Civil Protection in particular, as the hub of the National Civil Protection Service, provides a model of professionalism and leadership. The review report also identifies many challenges facing the Italian civil protection system and areas where improvements are still needed.
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Risk assessment, prevention and early warning
When the Italian National Civil Protection Service (NCPS) was established in 1992, forecasting and prevention measures were included in the scope of civil protection. The concept of prevention is no longer limited to the rescue of persons in emergency situations and reconstruction or restoration, but also includes measures to limit the major risks in Italy. There has been an important shift in the legislation from a system that focused primarily on post emergency intervention to a system that includes risk assessments, forecasting and risk prevention measures. The tasks and responsibilities for these upstream activities involve civil protection actors at central and regional levels of public administration and the scientific community.
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