Abstract

Emergencies caused by different types of disasters (natural, technological and complex) are as old as human history. They have always created serious problems for people and their communities, forcing them to take appropriate measures to ensure their prevention, mitigation, response and recovery. Keeping in mind the security implications of emergencies for the population, the overall tangible and intangible assets and the environment, each country has a primary responsibility for its own sustainable development on one hand, and for implementation of effective measures to reduce the risk of emergencies on the other hand. Therefore, the state and its authorities shall promptly undertake measures aimed at protecting people and their material assets and the environment from the impacts of emergency situations, i.e. to undertake measures to effectively reduce the risk of emergencies caused by disasters. In addition, one of the most important measures is certainly incorporating the integrated and multifaceted approach to disaster risk reduction into policies, planning and programming related to sustainable development, assistance, rehabilitation and revitalization activities in post-catastrophic and post-conflict situations in countries at risk disaster. The countries that develop policy, legislative and institutional framework for disaster risk reduction and those that are able to develop and track progress through specific and measurable indicators have greater capacity to manage risks and to achieve a widely accepted consensus on the inclusion and fulfilling measures of risk reduction across all sectors of the society. Certainly, on the list of significant measures aimed at reducing the risk of disaster is the adoption of the national strategy for protection and rescue in emergency situations. Generally speaking, national strategies are 201 aimed at a comprehensive understanding of the source of current and future risks, the establishment of the concept of organized activities of the government and other institutions to reduce emergencies caused by all forms of major natural and technological disasters, to mitigate their consequences through prevention actions, as well as development of adequate state of readiness and capacity of the whole community. Therefore, the national strategy for protection and rescue in emergency situations is a crucial foundation on which all other activities aimed at reducing disaster risk rest. That is why the author has done a detailed analysis of the National Strategy for Protection and Rescue of Serbia and Montenegro-with respect to Croatia, in order to compare their contents, based solutions, and implemented international standards. In addition, special attention is paid to the analysis of grounding of such strategies, keeping in mind the objective risk assessments of possible emergencies, which are determined by presenting a statistical analysis of each country.

Conclusions

Given the importance of measures to reduce the risk of disasters, the international community has made tremendous efforts to raise awareness about the importance of implementing the provisions of international conventions into national strategic documents. Additionally, there are numerous international conventions that regulate disaster risk reduction and should be implemented in national policies. However, despite international conventions and support from the international community, many states do not have a national strategy for protection and rescue in emergency situations. Serbia and Montenegro have national strategies for protection and rescue in emergency situations, while Croatia has a national platform for disaster risk reduction. Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, does not have such strategies. Therefore, these countries are compelled to work together to harmonize standards in emergency management to facilitate more effective protection and rescue of people, material and cultural resources, and the environment in emergencies. The following recommendations highlight this need: the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World, the Conference in Kobe, the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Conference, and the conclusions of the Conference in Geneva. A comparative analysis of the national strategies for protection and rescue in emergency situations in Serbia and Montenegro, compared to Croatia, led to the following conclusions. The differences between the NSRP of Serbia and Montenegro include the structure of their strategies, which differ significantly, particularly in the implementation of the Hyogo Protocol provisions and other segments related to disaster risk reduction. Montenegro’s strategy defines certain terms such as “emergency situation” and “accident” in the introduction, whereas the Serbian strategy does not include these categories. The objectives to be achieved differ largely, reflecting the current level reached in their protection and rescue systems. Montenegro’s strategy does not explicitly mention vision and mission, while Serbia’s strategy includes these elements. Serbia’s strategy identifies shortcomings of the existing protection and rescue system, while Montenegro’s strategy does not explicitly mention these, though they can be inferred through analysis. The strategies also differ in their analysis of the situation and the identified causes of emergency situations. The similarities between the NSRP of Serbia and Montenegro are notable. Both strategies identify common threats of emergencies, noting that the discussed countries are most threatened by natural disasters and strategic decisions must consider this fact. Technological disasters rarely affect these countries but cause more serious consequences when they do occur. Provisions from international conventions are maximally integrated into national strategies for protection and rescue in emergency situations. The general objectives of the strategies are identical. Certain structural forms are identical, and the terminology used is the same. Both strategies refer to the same international documents in the field of disaster risk reduction. Given that the countries in the region face similar emergency situations and that there are international conventions regulating disaster risk reduction, it is necessary to consider adopting a “Balkan strategy for disaster risk reduction,” with a special emphasis on international cooperation in providing all kinds of assistance.

How to cite

Reference – Cvetković, V., & Ivanov, A. (2014). Comparative analysis of national strategies for protection and rescue in emergencies in Serbia and Montenegro with emphasis on Croatia. International conference: Macedonia and the Balkans, a hundred years after the world war I – security and euroatlantic integrations (3-5 june 2014). Skopje: University St. Kliment Ohridski – Bitola, Faculty of Security, 200-216