Poland joins Resilient Cities Campaign

BRUSSELS, 4 June, 2018 - UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign in Europe has received a major boost as Poland becomes a participant for the first time.

The Provincial Government of Kujawsko-Pomorskie in the north of the country has led the way and it comprises over 50 towns and cities that will now have the opportunity to sign up individually to participate in the Campaign which has 3,800 members around the world. The city of Rypin and district of Powiat Tucholski in the region also joined the Campaign in their own right.

A special signing ceremony and citizens’ dialogue on disasters was held in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Toruń, Poland. The event included a dialogue with representatives from local governments, volunteer organizations, academics, citizens and media in the region. It was organized by the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region, the European Committee of Regions and local government association, Salutaris.

Opening the event, the Marshall of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region, Mr. Piotr Całbecki, said: “Joining the Campaign is an important first step for our region as we increase efforts to reduce the risks from disasters and protect our citizens.”

In August 2017, the region suffered a devastating storm with hurricane-stength winds. Six people were killed, tens of thousands of trees were destroyed and thousands of homes were damaged. Estimates of the economic losses were €1 billion.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Rosalind Cook representing UNISDR’s European Office, welcomed the new region, city and district saying, “Joining the Campaign represents an important political commitment to disaster risk reduction and to implement the 10 essentials for making cities resilient in the context of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.”

The UN Making Cities Resilient Campaign, which was established in 2010, connects cities into a global network of almost 4,000 participating cities and towns, including over 700 in the European region.

The Campaign supports local governments with knowledge, tools and resources to catalyse action and funding for disaster risk reduction and to raise awareness among citizens. Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Powiat Tucholski and Rypin will now be able to access the Disaster Resilience Scorecard which provides for in-depth analysis of the specific risks faced by local governments and supports the development of strategies and plans to reduce the impacts of disasters.