March 3-8, 2008. Advanced trainingcourse? Spatial planning as a strategy for mitigation and adaptation tonatural hazards? took place in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

   Click to view enlarged image

The course was organized by NATO and gathered over 35 representatives from different countries. There were delegations from NATO partner countries (Armenia, Afghanistan, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Macedonia, Russian Federation, Ukraine, and Croatia), Mediterranean dialog countries (Algeria, Jordan, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco), USA, Canada, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Finland, and Switzerland.

Over 25 reports were presented by scientists from European and American universities. They discussed the concepts of natural hazards, vulnerability and risk, various criteria and methods of their assessment, methods of natural processes forecasting, risk management in the context of climate change etc.

Case studies were conducted in the framework of the course. The participants examined the patterns of spatial planning as a mitigation strategy at the risk of landslides, floods, atmospheric extremes etc. Professor Ron Corvers, Open Universiteit Nederland, presented the report ?Spatial planning in The Netherlands: nature development in high risk areas? in which he shared the experience of the Netherlands? national policy in the area of mitigation and adaptation to floods. Professor Brent Yarnal, Pennsylvania State University (USA), stressed the importance of cooperation between government, private companies, non-governmental organizations and citizens in the field of mitigation of natural hazards.        
     
On the group sessions that took place during the course the participants discussed potential short-term and long-term consequences and losses caused by natural disasters for government, local infrastructures, business and citizens of the suffered region under certain conditions.    

A delegation of Euro-Asia UCLG members attended the course. All the participants of the delegation won a grant provided by the organizer on a competitive basis for the representatives of the partner countries. The grant fully covered transport and living expenses and a 600 euro registration fee. The University  of Santiago de Compostela provided active organizational support to the whole event.

08.03.2008

Back to the list