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European Science & Technology Advisory Group

The European Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (E-STAG) is a voluntary group of experts providing scientific and technical support to European and Central Asian countries on the implementation of the Sendai Framework - and other relevant frameworks in the EU in close collaboration with the European Commission's Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre (DRMKC). 

E-STAG
  • Publications

  • Publications

    Other Contributions

    2024

    1. Forging a long-standing cooperation with the EC Community for European Research and Innovation for Security (CERIS) group.
    2. Representation of UNDRR by Dr. Alex Altshuler at the event Impact of Climate Change on Security Practitioners on May 21, organized by CERIS.
    3. Presentation of E-STAG contributions at the DG-HOME/ECHO CERIS event during the UCP forum.
    4. Organization of the joint ESTAG-CERIS event Disaster Research Days held in October 2024 in Vienna.
    5. Participation to the CERIS event “From Local to International Cooperation” on 5-7th June 2024 with E-STAG members' interventions. 
    6. Contribution to the drafting of the Flames of Change report.
    7. Prof. Dilanthi Amaratunga delivered a session on Resilience Finance Thematic Semester Progress at the  UNDRR 2024 1st MCR2030 Regional Coordinating Committee held on the 27th June 2024. 
    8. Participation of Prof. Dilanthi Amaratunga in UNDRR’s International Women’s Day outreach, featured in the section “Women in DRR”.
    9. Organization of the event Jornada sobre la clasificación de peligros UNDRR/ISC in Madrid on June 18 by Prof. Urbano Fra Paleo, focusing on the UNDRR/ISC Hazard Information Profiles (HIPs).
    10. Participation of E-STAG in the UN OCHA Humanitarian Networks Partnership Week. Panel Discussion: Hazard vs. Risk – paradigm shift in disaster risk management.
    11. Contribution by Dr. Jean Louis Rossi to mainstream E-STAG work on wildfire risks through the platform «Isula Muntagna».
    12. Presentation by Prof. Mark Pelling on E-STAG at the WHO EURO workshop on research capacity building for health emergency and disaster risk.
    13. Contribution to the realization of the UNDRR global guideline Words into Action “The Science-Policy-Society ecosystem for DRR”.
    14. Contribution to the UNDRR GAR Special Report 2024 - Forensic investigations of disasters; looking for root causes: Case study on Wildfire and smog in Indonesia, GAR Special Report 2024: UNDRR.
    15. Organization of the E-STAG side-event webinar “Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction through Science and Policy: A Multi-Level Approach” on the occasion of the UNDRR ROECA’S regional Platform for DRR.
    16. Representation of UNDRR at the commemoration of 20 years of the tsunami event organised by IOC UNESCO and the Government of Indonesia held in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, by Prof. Dilanthi Amaratunga, also featuring an interview for the media.
    17. Prof. Dilanthi Amaratunga participated to the joint UNDRR and UNDP Expert Stakeholder Consultation on Coherence Pathways report  Europe and Central Asia. 
    18. Organization of the global webinar on “Early Warning Systems for Tsunami Preparedness and Response”.
    19. Contribution to the external expert review of the draft Montenegro National DRR Strategy through the UNDRR Strategy Assessment online tool.
    20. Application of the UNDRR’s Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities: Cultural Heritage addendum in Venice,  by Prof. Urbano Fra Paleo.
    21. Participation in the World Science Forum Side Event on Standardizing Hazard Information for Policymakers, 21-22 november, in Budapest, by Prof. Urbano Fra Paleo, focusing on the UNDRR/ISC Hazard Information Profiles (HIPs).

    2023

    1. Contributions to the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
    2. Contributions to the development of the UNDRR Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2023: Europe and Central Asia by authoring chapters, conducting ad hoc research, and making scientific contributions.
    3. Contribution to the MCR2030 Report titled ‘Flames of Change: Innovating Heat and Wildfire Governance for Inclusive Communities’.
    4. Contribution to enhancing the robustness of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism’s Wildfire Peer Review Assessment Framework, through the E-STAG publication on “Evolving nature of wildfire risk in Europe and Central Asia” and contributions to the EU Forest Strategy
    5. Participation in cross-continental collaboration with the UNDRR regional STAG for the Americas, improving communication and synergies between the two UNDRR science and technology advisory groups
    6. Contributions to the upcoming UNDRR Words Into Action guidance on the Science-Policy Society Ecosystem for DRR and the Global Assessment Report (GAR) Special Edition on drought 2024
    7. Support in representing UNDRR in webinars and international conferences.

    2020-2022

    1. Contributions to specific sessions at the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction hosted by Portugal, November 2021.
      1. EFDRR Plenary on COVID 19 and Systemic Risks
      2. Scaling Up DRR in Civil Protection and Healthcare
      3. Resilient Infrastructure
      4. Science-Policy interface
    2. Contribution to the UNDRR Roadmap 2021-2030 endorsed by Member States in November 2021.
    3. Contribution to the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme, 2021
    4. E-STAG expert contribution to UKRI COP26 Adaptation and Resilience programme. October 2021
    5. Support to the UNDRR Office of the Americas and the Caribbean to finalise the Cultural Heritage Addendum of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign, 2021.
    6. Invited to facilitate the key theme:   Urban Disaster Risk Reduction: Strengthening Risks Fragility and Resilience for Sustainable Development, at the “Disaster Risk Reduction – Local Resilience in Europe and Central Asia, Introduction to Geospatial Technologies for Achieving SDGs – Demographic Considerations, Organised by: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Europe and Central Asia (UNDRR ROECA )and the Regional Secretariat for Making Cities Resilient 2030 for Europe and Central Asia Date: July 2021
    7. Representation at the Scoping Workshop on Crisis prevention, preparedness, response and resilience, European Commission , February 2021 
    8. Representation as a member of the ISC-UNDRR Expert Review Group (ERG) for the Development of a new Global Disaster Risk Reduction Research Agenda towards 2030 and beyond. 2020 – 2021
    9. Contribution to the revision of the EU strategy for Climate Change Adaptation (European Commission, Directorate General, Climate Action - 2020)
    10. Input to the discussion paper: The Bank of England 2021 biennial exploratory scenario on the financial risks from climate change (input provided in 2020)
    11. Input at the Sendai Framework National Focal Points Europe and Central  Asia meeting held in December 2020, on “Integrating Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness with DRR”
    12. Support to the Bulgarian government for the assessment of the Bulgaria Disaster Risk Strategy, performed in early 2020. 
    13. Representation as a member of the MCR2030 Regional Coordination Committee for Europe, Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) National Strategy Assessment for Bulgaria (2020)
    14. Contribution to the Hazard Information Profiles  (UNDRR, 2019/2020).
    15. Invited to be a facilitator at the International Workshop on Local Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies, UNDRR Global Education Training Institute (GETI), Incheon, Republic of Korea. September 2019.
    16. Representation at the Science and Policy Forum for the Implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, 13-14 May 2019, Palais des Nations, Geneva. Co-organized by UNISDR Science Technology Advisory Groups (STAG), International Science, Council (ISC), and Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR
  • Membership

  • Membership

    The current membership of E-STAG includes 14 national experts and 7 thematic experts, all with rich scientific, research or technical backgrounds from national platforms, science institutions, academic institutions, or technical agencies in European and Central Asia countries.

    You may find the list of current members below, and download the more detailed biographies here.

    National experts

    Armenia
    LilitDr. Lilit Gevorgyan
    Researcher at the Institute of Geological Sciences at the Armenian National Academy
     Austria  
    ChristianMr. Christian Resch
    Managing Director Disaster Competence Network Austria
    Belgium
    Dr. Edouard Hosten, (MD, MSc), Emergency Medicine Physician (CHU Charleroi - ULB), PhD candidate (KU Leuven)
    Croatia
    SvonkoDr. Zvonko Sigmund
    Teaching assistant, University of Zagreb    
     France  
    MyriamProf. Myriam Merad National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France
     Germany
    ReimundProf. Reimund Schwarze Head of Climate Change and Extreme Events RG, Leipzig
    Israel
    AlexanderDr. Alexander Altshuler Head of the Research and Development Department at the Israel National Emergency Management Authority
    Italy  
     Dr. Daniela di Bucci, Senior Geologist with expertise in geohazards - International Relations and Activities Unit, Italian Civil Protection Department
     Montenegro
    Nina SerdarDr Nina Serdar
    Assistant professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Montenegro, scientific-research expert in Earthquake Engineering and Seismic risk assessment
     Russian Federation
    ElenaDr. Elena Arefyeva Chief researcher of the All-Russian Research Institute for Civil Defense    
    Slovenia  
    BlazDr. Blaz Komac ZRC SAZU, Head of Department of Natural Hazards at the Anton Melik Geographical Institute
    Spain
    UrbanoDr. Urbano Fra Paleo Professor in Human Geography at the University of Extremadura
     Sweden
    JorgenDr. Jorgen Sparf Department of Social Sciences of the Mid Sweden University    
     United Kingdom  
    MarkProf. Mark Pelling Professor in Geography at the King’s College of London

    Thematic experts

    Disaster Risk Management
    DilanthiProf. Dilanthi Amaratunga Global Disaster Resilience Center, University of Huddersfield
    Multi-hazard risk assessment, climate risk assessment
    JaroslavDr. Jaroslav Mysiak Director of the Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategies division, the Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change
    Risk modelling, wild fires
    Jean LouisDr. Jean Louis Rossi Professor and coordinator of the risk modeling research group part of the project “Fire” of the University of Corte
    Data management
    MassimoMr. Massimo Migliorini
    LINKS Foundation, Head of Extended Reality Lab
    Earth Observation & GIS
    AlexanderProf. Alexander Siegmund Professor of Physical Geography and Geo Education at the Heidelberg 
    University of Education and Heidelberg University
    Liaison with JRC
    Ian ClarkeMr Ian Clarke

    Young scientists

    Cecilia SkarneCecilia Skarne Delivery Consultant at 4C Strategies International (London) and representative in the UN Major Group for Youth and Children (UNMGCY). 
    SigneDr. Signe Mikulane
    Research associate at Institute for Building Information Modeling, Bochum University of Applied Sciences

  • Contact

  • Contact

    For more information about E-STAG, please contact [email protected]