Hydrogeological Instability, New Operational Model Presented

The resolution concerning the settlement of local hydrogeological and flood-related units to protect population endangered by these natural events has been published in the Official Journal (BURC).

Mayors of Campania, thus will benefit from the support of expert engineers and geologists trained for the prevention of landslides and floods- related events.

This innovative system guarantees to Municipalities and civil protection concerned Authorities a technical support for the assessment of risks in case of emergency and the possibility to take on decisions aimed at increase safety of citizens, in real time too.

The system is divided into three main stages: the training of geologists and engineers who will participate in the initiative carried out by the Regional School of Civil Protection, that will be possible because of specific memoranda of understanding undersigned with the Professional Associations concerned; the establishment of these groups of technical experts trained in Voluntary Associations; their placement in the Civil Protection network, with extremely low costs for the regional system, since the activity will be carried out with the same rules of the voluntary activities already implemented in other sectors.

The actions of the local units will be carried out in Mixed Operational Centres of Civil Protection that operate from the supra-municipal level that involves several areas.

As a matter of fact, there are 86 Centres in the regional area and each one will have appropriate tools and equipment to ensure its activity.

In total, one thousand specialised volunteers will be engaged (already in the Associations) and they will work in pair.

The overall estimate is 14 million € that will mainly cover the tools equipment, the settlement of the 86 mixed operational Centres in order to guarantee their full functionality, and the training activities of the expert technicians.

The initiative has been supported in cooperation with the Campania Regional Federation of Engineers and sponsored by the National Council of Engineers, too.

Regional Minister for Civil Protection Edoardo Cosenza stated: “This system is a remarkable step forward of Campania in the sector of non-structural prevention, “exporting” to the whole region and enhancing the so-called “Sarno” model set up by the Commissioner of the post-emergency in ’98. The difference is that the technicians of the units will not be hired by the concerned authority, rather will be volunteers. We implement already active best practices, thanks to the Professional Associations of Engineers and Geologists who, together with us, deemed as indispensable the cooperation about civil protection and territory safeguard related activities”.

President of the National Council of Engineers Armando Zambrano and President of the Campania Regional Federation Francesco Cardone stated: “This activity is and should become a benchmark for all Italian regions that will all have local fast response structures”.

President of the Campania Association of Geologists Francesco Peduto said: “Regione Campania is the first to fully adopt the Local Units, that are, in my opinion, key structures for an effective preventive fight of hydrogeological and flood-related instability and as a support of actions for civil protection, both during “peace time” and after natural disasters.

Director of Anci (National Association of Italian Municipalities) Pasquale Granata said: “The resolution concerning local units is not an occasional single measure, since it is part of a broader strategy of civil protection activities carried out very resolutely by Regional Minister Edoardo Cosenza. A territorial Governance model we are very satisfied with”. And he added: “Backing Municipalities, through the support for local planning and the settlement of the local units, is the core of this new setting that poses Campania among the most developed Italian regions. Now, we expect a further effort by Regional Minister Cosenza, to provide also Municipal civil protection units with the necessary tools”.