The Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe join UNDRR’s Making Cities Resilient 2030 Initiative

Belgrade, 12 May - The Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS) joined the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s (UNDRR) Making Cities Resilient 2030 Initiative (MCR2030) to support building resilience in South-Eastern Europe. This was officially announced during the NALAS General Assembly event on 12 May 2022.

NALAS, along with the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative for South-Eastern Europe (DPPI-SEE), is a partner of the UNDRR Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, working on various projects aimed at strengthening disaster resilience capacities, collecting data, and disseminating risk knowledge in the region. By joining the MCR2030 initiative, NALAS members will be able to establish further links and coordination with local, national, and regional agencies and specialists.

As part of the MCR2030 initiative, NALAS and DPPI-SEE will support municipalities in South-Eastern Europe to strengthen their capacities in disaster risk reduction, and identify resilience champions in the region. DPPI-SEE is also part of the Regional Coordinating Committee of MCR2030, supporting the implementation and design of the initiative in Europe and Central Asia. Both organizations will serve as a platform for knowledge dissemination and advocacy about urban resilience. Members of the MCR2030 initiative will have access to the Learning Cluster approach, developed by NALAS, which facilitates peer to peer exchanges for capacity development. In addition, to support knowledge exchanges between MCR2030 members, living lab tours and city to city peer reviews of resilience strategies may be offered.

UNDRR already carries out work with DPPI-SEE on the INFORM risk assessments, which help to identify at-risk areas, determine major risk driving factors, and how to address them. In 2021, INFORM risk assessments were carried out at subnational levels in several countries in the SEE region, providing a foundation for introducing the INFORM Index to local governments in South-Eastern Europe. Along with the MCR2030 Scorecards, this will help local governments to identify at-risk areas and assess the resilience status of each municipality.

As part of this collaboration, UNDRR, NALAS and DPPI-SEE developed a Regional MCR2030 Resilience Roadmap that was endorsed by the DPPI-SEE member states and the NALAS Steering Committee - Committee of Liaison Officers.

About MCR2030

The Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative is a global partnership of key partners with expertise and networks across urban resilience, DRR, climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals to bring synergized collaboration. MCR2030 is a unique cross-stakeholder initiative improving local resilience by making cities safer, preventing risks and promoting innovation and investments. Building on the Making Cities Resilient Campaign which began in 2010, MCR2030 welcomes cities, local governments as well as any other parties wishing to help cities prosper through advocacy, knowledge-sharing and city-to-city networks.

About NALAS

NALAS is a network of associations of local authorities of South East Europe. The Network brings together 14 Associations which represent roughly 9000 local authorities, directly elected by more than 80 million citizens of this region. The NALAS Secretariat, based in Skopje, is responsible for the overall coordination and the implementation of the activities.

NALAS was created in 2001 following the first Forum of Cities and Regions of South-East Europe (Skopje, November 2000), organised by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. In July 2005 NALAS became an officially registered association with its seat in Strasbourg. The NALAS Secretariat was established in March 2007.

About DPPI-SEE

In November 2000, the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe launched the “Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative” (DPPI) in an effort to contribute to the development of a cohesive regional strategy for disaster preparedness and prevention for its 10 member States (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey). The DPPI has been conceived as an activity that seeks to provide a framework for South-Eastern European nations to develop programs and projects leading to strengthened capabilities in preventing and responding to natural and man-made disasters.