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).
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.
Participation of Prof. Dilanthi Amaratunga in UNDRR’s International Women’s Day outreach, featured in the section “Women in DRR”.
Participation of E-STAG in the UN OCHA Humanitarian Networks Partnership Week. Panel Discussion: Hazard vs. Risk – paradigm shift in disaster risk management.
Contribution by Dr. Jean Louis Rossi to mainstream E-STAG work on wildfire risks through the platform «Isula Muntagna».
Presentation by Prof. Mark Pelling on E-STAG at the WHO EURO workshop on research capacity building for health emergency and disaster risk.
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.
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.
Prof. Dilanthi Amaratunga participated to the joint UNDRR and UNDP Expert Stakeholder Consultation on Coherence Pathways report Europe and Central Asia.
Contribution to the MCR2030 Report titled ‘Flames of Change: Innovating Heat and Wildfire Governance for Inclusive Communities’.
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
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
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
Support in representing UNDRR in webinars and international conferences.
Contribution to the UNDRR Roadmap 2021-2030 endorsed by Member States in November 2021.
Contribution to the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme, 2021
E-STAG expert contribution to UKRI COP26 Adaptation and Resilience programme. October 2021
Support to the UNDRR Office of the Americas and the Caribbean to finalise the Cultural Heritage Addendum of the Making Cities Resilient Campaign, 2021.
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
Representation at the Scoping Workshop on Crisis prevention, preparedness, response and resilience, European Commission , February 2021
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
Contribution to the revision of the EU strategy for Climate Change Adaptation (European Commission, Directorate General, Climate Action - 2020)
Input to the discussion paper: The Bank of England 2021 biennial exploratory scenario on the financial risks from climate change (input provided in 2020)
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”
Support to the Bulgarian government for the assessment of the Bulgaria Disaster Risk Strategy, performed in early 2020.
Representation as a member of the MCR2030 Regional Coordination Committee for Europe, Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) National Strategy Assessment for Bulgaria (2020)
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.
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
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 biographieshere.
National experts
Armenia
Dr. Lilit Gevorgyan Researcher at the Institute of Geological Sciences at the Armenian National Academy
Austria
Mr. 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
Dr. Zvonko Sigmund Teaching assistant, University of Zagreb
France
Prof. Myriam Merad National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France
Germany
Prof. Reimund Schwarze Head of Climate Change and Extreme Events RG, Leipzig
Israel
Dr. 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
Dr 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
Dr. Elena Arefyeva Chief researcher of the All-Russian Research Institute for Civil Defense
Slovenia
Dr. Blaz Komac ZRC SAZU, Head of Department of Natural Hazards at the Anton Melik Geographical Institute
Spain
Dr. Urbano Fra Paleo Professor in Human Geography at the University of Extremadura
Sweden
Dr. Jorgen Sparf Department of Social Sciences of the Mid Sweden University
United Kingdom
Prof. Mark Pelling Professor in Geography at the King’s College of London
Thematic experts
Disaster Risk Management
Prof. Dilanthi Amaratunga Global Disaster Resilience Center, University of Huddersfield
