Novel Multi-Sector-Partnerships in Disaster Risk Management

This book is the final result of the ENHANCE project.
This project aimed at developing and analysing novel
ways to enhance society’s resilience to catastrophic natural hazard impacts. It analysed and developed new
multi-sector partnerships (MSPs) between public and
private sectors, with emphasis on the financial sector.
MSPs are voluntary but enforceable commitments
between partners from different sectors (public authorities, private services/enterprise and civil society),
which can be temporary or long-lasting. They are founded on sharing the same goal: reduce risk and increase
resilience. The project was carried out by 25 partners
from academic institutes, governmental sector, private
companies, and international organisations, with emphasis on the financial sector such as insurance.
The ENHANCE project has studied ten case studies on
risk reduction, taking place at different geographical
and spatial scales in Europe. The case studies are related to heat waves, forest fires, floods, droughts, storm
surges, and volcanic eruptions. Based on these case
studies the project has assessed current partnerships,
and analysed what risk information is needed to enhance risk management.
In order to develop MSPs that can effectively reduce
risk, the first step is to widen the risk information basis of stakeholders, through the development of risk
assessment models, evaluation tools, a risk catalogue
and toolbox, and the provision of an inventory of existing risk scenarios in Europe. Special attention was paid
to economic instruments that can complement already
existing disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures within
Foreword
MSPs. For example, insurance schemes can be used to
compensate losses after a damaging event. However,
it can also be used to provide incentives to households
to reduce risk, through deductibles and premium setting. In addition, water pricing can be used as an instrument to limit water consumption in drought prone
areas, and raise awareness on water scarcity.
Furthermore, ENHANCE has explored the roles of actors and stakeholders, and has systematically examined their successes and failures in increasing resilience to natural hazards and disasters and their
associated risks. Accordingly, this book describes indicators for successful and unsuccessful partnerships
and recommendations will be provided as to how to
improve cooperation to better manage risk. Finally, the
regulatory policy framework is analysed, from the global level (e.g. the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015-2030) to the local levels, since regulations can steer the development of partnerships and
set the financial and administrative boundary conditions for partnerships for developing DRR measures.