Italy is one of the European countries with the highest risk of environmental disasters compared to other nations on the continent. This is highlighted by a study reported by Il Sole 24 Ore, which states that, between 2005 and 2035, Italy's risk factor will remain high and stable. In light of this situation, one of the goals of Civil Protection is to manage emergencies not only as a response to the acute phase of a crisis but also (and especially) in terms of forecasting and preventing such events. As early as 2017, the Ministry of the Interior identified specific risks for the country, such as seismic activity, hydrogeological events, and wildfires. These are phenomena of different natures, requiring specific methods for proper monitoring and prevention. However, these actions must be framed within a broader context that considers the social, economic, and cultural consequences, as globally defined by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The Sendai Framework: 4 Priorities for Action and 7 KPIs
The Sendai Framework 2015-2030 is the result of the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, established under a mandate from the UN General Assembly. This framework defines the four priorities that guide risk forecasting and prevention actions:
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Understanding risk, i.e., assessing the exposure of people and assets to environmental hazards.
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Strengthening governance, in terms of planning, skills, and coordination among stakeholders.
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Investing to increase resilience, by allocating financial and logistical resources at both central and local levels.
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Enhancing preparedness for critical events, both during emergencies and for restoring normality.
Within this framework, the Sendai Framework identifies 7 objectives that should guide the actions of the involved agencies. The improvement of the corresponding KPIs determines the effectiveness of the actions undertaken.
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Victims and missing persons. This refers to the number of deaths caused by the natural disaster per 100,000 people.
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Affected persons. This indicates the number of people affected by the disaster in terms of injuries, illnesses, or damage to homes or livelihoods.
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Productive sectors. This refers to the partial or total loss of productive assets or other types of property: agriculture, livestock, manufacturing, real estate, services, or even cultural heritage.
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Damage to critical infrastructure. This KPI refers to assessing the losses or damages to essential infrastructure critical for the functioning of society and its resilience during or after a disaster.
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Central and local government. The number of administrations, at both central and local levels, implementing Sendai Framework strategies must continuously increase.
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International cooperation. This indicates the number of initiatives (such as technological, scientific, or innovation transfers) and bilateral, multilateral, or international agencies dedicated to implementing the Sendai Framework.
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Early warning. This refers to the number of countries implementing early warning systems for multiple risk factors.
The success of implementing the Sendai Framework by 2030 depends on the ability to precisely identify intervention priorities and continuously monitor progress in the implementation process through clear and measurable KPIs, ensuring a more timely reduction in disaster risks.
KPIs for Civil Protection PSAPs
Emergency management by Civil Protection relies on dedicated resources, with the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) playing a key role in gathering and processing territorial data for forecasting and prevention purposes. To improve this process, information collected in the field is processed according to guidelines provided by the Italian Civil Protection:
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Seismic activity. Data processed by the PSAP comes from the National Seismic Network of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. This includes seismic data, movements of the Earth's surface, tectonic plate shifts, and geochemical data (collected from geochemical monitoring stations installed in high-risk areas).
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Hydrogeological events: Data is collected from various networks spread across the territory: meteorological, hydrological, and rainfall networks; the national network of meteorological radars; satellite platforms for Earth observation; and hydrological, geological, geomorphological, and territorial data derived from the landslide monitoring system.
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Wildfires: The onset and spread of wildfires are monitored through national and local meteorological networks (such as the Air Force, ENAV, regional agencies, etc.), satellite data, and local monitoring networks.
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Call concentration: An increase in calls to the emergency number (112), concentrated in a specific area, alerts Civil Protection to the onset of an exceptional event and can trigger earlier analysis and more timely resolution of the ongoing phenomenon.
It is crucial that these reports and data collection be shared among the various PSAPs and subsequently coordinated at the national level to create a functioning control network at all levels. Even if a crisis is confined to a specific area, it is essential to ensure global sharing to standardize procedures, potentially access additional resources, and provide coordinated communication to the public. The Sendai Framework and standardized KPIs ensure that Civil Protection can address emergencies as quickly as possible.
