Croatian government and cities join forces with MCR2030 on building local resilience
The City of Zagreb and Dubrovnik-Neretva County both recently joined the Making Cities Resilient 2030 network, leading the expansion of Croatia’s MCR2030 engagement
A national Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) webinar was held today in Croatia, bringing together over 50 participants to learn about the comprehensive set of tools provided by the MCR2030 initiative for assisting cities in their journeys on enhancing resilience and reducing disaster risks.
The Civil Protection Directorate, Ministry of the Interior of Croatia and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia jointly organized the MCR2030 webinar to foster greater connectivity among cities and to raise awareness of the support and collaboration it provides, including through its global network of over 1,600 member cities, including over 170 cities and municipalities in Europe.
Mr. Darko Majstorović, Civil Protection Coordinator, Civil Protection Directorate, Ministry of the Interior, said:
We are witnessing an increase in both the number and intensity of hazards that can cause disasters. It is extremely important to learn from other communities and implement tried examples of good practice. Croatia has many good examples as well, and is proud of them. However, good examples must be shared with the wider community in order to get a fresh perspective on ones solutions. Today, we wish to encourage all Croatian cities and counties to join MCR2030 and participate in the exchange of experiences and education on this important topic. Let's act together - we are stronger that way.
The initiative celebrated the City of Zagreb and the Dubrovnik-Neretva County recently joining as members of the MCR2030 initiative, with representatives from both local administrations showcasing their experiences in local level resilience building, as well as expectations from joining the MCR2030 initiative.
Ms. Kristina Martinović, Head of the Security and Prevention Unit in the City of Zagreb, said:
The city of Zagreb is doing a lot of activities to make our city more resilient, including through two projects on urban security and earthquake risk, which are nearing their end. We hope that through this initiative we will connect even more with other cities to share our experience.
Mr. Mato Tomljanović, Senior Advisor, Specialist and Secretary of the Civil Protection Headquarter in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, said:
Dubrovnik-Neretva County is the first Croatian county to participate in this initiative. We believe that MCR2030 is highly beneficial and we hope to achieve its strategic goals by implementing various projects of European territorial cooperation. The acquisition of equipment and the training of operational forces of civil protection are our top priorities. We will continue to collaborate with the Civil Protection Directorate, Ministry of the Interior, on all preventive activities, particularly those that involve children and young people. Our hope is that other Croatian counties will also join the initiative.
The event closed with the organizers encouraging more cities in Croatia to join the MCR2030 initiative, and to utilize the supportive tools that the initiative itself, and its network, provides in supporting local resilience building efforts in different contexts.
Mr. Andrew Bower from the UNDRR Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia concluded:
We hope to trigger interest from different cities and counties to join the MCR2030 network, with the City of Zagreb and Dubrovnik-Neretva County showing the way. Let's make Croatia an important representation in this global network