1.1. Preventing and mitigating the consequences of natural and man-made disasters in the cross-border area

The project aims at exchange of experience, know-how and good practices in the field of risk assessment and risk analysis in the cross-border region.

The project activities include the creation of a working group in Burgas consisting of experts who will investigate the disasters – manmade and natural happened during the last 5 years and will assess the current risk areas.  The collected and processed data would be served for preparation of a disaster “risk map” in the Bulgarian-Turkish cross-border region.

A "round table" event will be organized in Edirne under the motto "Management of risk prevention – a key for sustainable development of the cross-border region". Here will be announced and discussed the risk assessment results for the main risky zones incl. Environmental, Biological, Health, Technological, Natural risk and  the prevention of natural and man-made disasters.

It is envisaged “risk information tools” to be developed”, including risk maps and mobile application.

Training in Edirne will be conducted for the representatives of agriculture, business, administration and civil society on risk management and disaster protection.

On behalf of the Bulgarian partner a "Virtual Risk HUB " will be created, which will play a role of a platform functioning as common one for business, education, research, government and stakeholders to meet, collaborate, exchange information and good practices at the risk prevention management.

As a result of the implementation of the project one general guide and a book will be issued. The materials will help to improve the joint actions co-ordination in emergency situations, which ensures increased protection and security for the residents of the cross-border region.

Project status: Finished

The project partners have implemented the activities according to the schedule.

The cross-border area is a fast developing area, with specific geographical, economic and environmental features, requiring special efforts for their management. At that situation the emerging new technologies and the economic development in the region, are on focus, since they have significant impacts to the environment and cause risk situations, which need special attention and knowledge to be managed. Natural and manmade disasters are part of our everyday life, regardless of the fact that they are often classified with low probability to happen, but the risk prevention and the mitigation of disaster’s consequences is even more important in the cross-border area, not only as area of meeting people from different countries with different understanding and different life style, resources and abilities, but also as the front doors of the countries and a transition area.

The area is facing natural disasters such as: floods, landslides, fires, etc. and manmade disasters caused by different types of hazards: technological – various types of major hazards like corrosion, toxic release, radioactivity, blasts and fires, economical risk for the society and economy, environmental risk, related with the polluted big rivers Maritsa, Tundzha and the whole industrialization of the region, biological risk, safety and security risk, health risk.

The concrete needs of the target groups, which have been discussed during the project implementation, are connected with the necessity of information dissemination, training and experience exchange. As the representatives of local and regional authorities and business shared, there is a need for both theoretical and practical knowledge for risk and risk prevention management, most important for overcoming the critical situations, which region faces. Project activities aim to increase thecapacity for risk assessment and analysis, to ensure sustainable development of the environment in the cross-border coastal area with the  support by regional and local governments and good partners experienced in organization of public trainings and meetings.

The project also aims to overcome the weaknesses such as lack of knowledge among the target groups representatives about the natural and manmade disaster, natural and techno genic risk and prevention management; low interest to risk prevention as a key for sustainable development; low level of cooperation in prevention and setting up measures for risk mitigation; low capacity of the managerial boards in different sectors in the area of risk management; absence of data base and systematic analysis of manmade and natural disasters; as well as the different management models; different national legislations and rules in overcoming the disasters.

The project implementation gave the opportunity to overcome many of the weaknesses and constraints, focusing of the strengths of the region and project’s partnership.

Project website:

http://risknowcomes.net/  

Materials from the project:

Promotional materials elaborated under the project are available HERE.

Project products:

Guidelines for risk management and prevention of natural and manmade disasters are available HERE.

Final conference book “Collection of Articles Prevention of Risk for Sustainable Development of the Region” is available HERE.

Report "Analysis of past disasters in CBR from the techno genic risk", Author eng. Sabina Nedkova (Bulgarian version) is available HERE.

Report "Analysis of past disasters in CBR from Environmental risk", Author Stela Naydenova (Bulgarian version) is available HERE.

Report “Assessment and analysis of health risk for the regional population”, Author eng. Vladimir Kanev (Bulgarian version) is available HERE.

Health risk report of the Turkish part of the CBC area (Turkish version) is available HERE.

Natural risk report of the Turkish part of the CBC area (Turkish version) is available HERE.

Technology risk report of the Turkish of the CBC area (Turkish version) is available HERE.

Methodology of the Research is available HERE.

Risk info cards (English Version) are available HERE.

Risk info cards (Bulgarian Version) are available HERE.

Risk info cards (Turkish Version) are available HERE.

Presentations from Round Table "Management of risk prevention – a key for sustainable development of the CBR" held in Edirne on 16 and 17 of April 2018 (Turkish versions) are available HERE.

Three Presentations from "Training of representatives of farmers in risk management" held in Edirne, on 30 April - 01 May 2018 (Bulgarian versions) are available HERE.

Two experts presentations from the workshop "Exchange of experience” for administrative representatives (Bulgarian versions) held in Burgas on 15 and 16 of May 2018 are available HERE.

Four Presentations from the Final Conference held in Burgas (Bulgarian versions), at Flora Expocenter main hall, on 9 and 10 of November 2018, are available HERE.

The mobile application "Risk Map" can be downloaded from the following address: For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.embarcadero.riskmap_project.

The Risk Map web platform (in English and Bulgarian language) is available at the following link: http://riskmap.blacksea.bg/.

The “Poll of natural and man-made disasters in the cross-border area” is available at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfE2iSmVispWcrvUzgtRNORjodNDk_KWdaUaH_ubBXS6mz4Vw/viewform.

The project aims to prevent and mitigate the consequences of floods in the cross-border area of Topolovgrad and Alpullu through improving the conductivity of river beds of Sinapovska River in Topolovgrad municipality and of Pancarköy river in Alpullu.

Within the project joint capacity building training for municipal employees for risk prevention and disasters’ management and awareness raising training for local population about its role on disasters prevention and causing will be conducted. The project invisages execution of repair and restoration works for improvement the conductivity of the river beds of Sinapovska River in Topolovgrad Municipality and of Pancarköy River in Alpullu.

The implementation of the project will contribute to mitigation of consequences of floods in the cross-border area and increasing safety of the local population in Sinapovo village and town of Alpullu through reducing the risk of life-threatening disasters.

Project status: Finished

The project partners have implemented the activities according to the schedule.

Through implementation of the project Municipality of Topolovgrad and Municipality of Alpullu have been given the opportunity to unite their strengths and experience in the field of prevention and mitigation of the effects of floods in the Aegean Basin. On the territory of the Municipality of Topolovgrad, the main prerequisites for creating a risk for the local population is the Sinapovska River, the riverbed of which by 2017 is heavily overgrown with trees and shrubs, the banks of the river have grown uncontrollably, which has led to a gradual narrowing of the main river bed and the river's conductivity has been greatly reduced. Periodic damage to housing, land and property of the population and waste water treatment plant at the end of the village of Sinapovo was caused. The river passes through the territory of the villages of Sinapovo, Dobroselets and Chukarovo, Topolovgrad Municipality, and the population at risk of overflowing the river or breaking the dike is 625 people in total. The problem of the municipality of Alpullu was identical. The Pancarkoy River passes through the city. Before the implementation of investment activities within the project, the river is dirty and full of waste and solids, which is a prerequisite for flooding. The river is threatened by flooded houses, courtyards, a sports complex and pedestrian zones The implementation of the project gave the opportunity for the municipalities of Topolovgrad and Alpullu not only to improve the conductivity of the Sinapovska River in Topolovgrad municipality and the Pancakoy River in Alpullu, but also to provide safety for the local population of the villages of Sinapovo, Chukarovo and Dobroselets in the Municipality of Topolovgrad and Town of Alpullu and to adapt to climate changes. In addition, both municipalities managed to increase the capacity of the local population and municipal administrations in the area of prevention and mitigation of the consequences of natural disasters with focus on floods, by conducting joint trainings in both municipalities.

Project materials:

Project promotional materials are available HERE.

The project leaflet is available HERE.

Project products:

The brochure elaborated under the project is available HERE.

The presentation from the Final press conference held in Topolovgrad on 20 March 2019 is available HERE.