Better knowledge, stronger evidence and a greater focus on transformative processes and innovation are essential to improve our understanding of disaster risk, to build resilience and risk-informed approaches to policy-making, and contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

Faced with the risk of increasingly severe and frequent natural and man-made disasters, policy-makers and risk managers - both specifically in Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and across all EU policies - need the best knowledge and evidence from local, national, European and global levels, and from all stages of the DRM cycle: prevention; reduction; preparedness; response and recovery.

Hence the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre (DRMKC), which provides a networked approach to the science-policy interface in DRM across the EU Commission, Member States and the DRM community globally, and:

• supports the translation of complex scientific data and analyses into usable information;
• provides science-based advice for DRM policies;
• provides timely and reliable scientific-based analyses for emergency preparedness and coordinated response activities;
• brings together existing initiatives contributing to the management of disaster risks.

Partnership, Knowledge and Innovation

It is built on three main pillars:

Partnership

Fully exploiting and translating complex science into useful policy and applications in DRM means reinforcing disaster science partnerships and networks, so we:

• activate and promote networks and other activities improving the science-policy interface in prevention activities and facilitating the translation of complex science into useful policy advice;
• promote partnerships for operational preparedness and response to major natural disaster types in the EU to facilitate information flows between the different partnerships, the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) and Member States.

The DRMKC is supported and coordinated by a number of Commission Services in partnership with a key network of Member States. A Steering Committee meets regularly to propose, discuss and establish the activities and priorities of the knowledge centre.

Knowledge

Scientific research results and operational knowledge gained from lessons learnt, exercises, training, peer reviews and other assessment tools need to be better exploited in the DRM cycle to mitigate risks and vulnerabilities and to improve response when disaster strikes, so we:

• develop and maintain a common repository of relevant research and operational projects and results;
• convene a science advisory panel of experts and scientists at local, national and European levels to provide analyses, updates and advice into research and innovation needs in DRM.

Innovation

Industry and the scientific community play an essential role in developing innovative methods, tools and technological solutions for the mitigation of disasters and their impacts. They facilitate the work of first responders and other operational actors in crisis management through innovative technologies and instruments. Therefore we:

• assess the current state of DRM science and technology in Europe;
• addresses technological and operational challenges to cover the existing gaps;
• assist in building globally common standards, through the European Network for Innovation Test Beds (ENITB) and the European Crisis Management Laboratory (ECML);
• provide a Support System facilitating the use of existing expertise to help Member States meet risk management related obligations: DRM Capabilities Assessment, Disaster Loss Databases, Science-policy interfaces, National Risk Assessment.

More information

The DRM-KC launched a fully-featured website in 2016, and so was not one of the pilot Knowledge and Competence Centres fully launching on this Knowledge4Policy Platform in May 2018.

While some of its key outputs are available here, all DRM-KC materials are available on its external site, which facilitates knowledge sharing and enhances connections between science, operational activities and policy by curating relevant projects from across Europe, providing a news service, newsletter and calendar, and much more.

Introductory downloads