Abstract

Vulnerability and human security have been changing over time and depended on the physical, social, economic and environmental factors. In modern terms these phenomena have become multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral and dynamic. However, in addition to empirical changes with respect to the nature of security threats, the increase of vulnerability and threatening to human security, there have increased the analytical range in their understanding as well as the institutional changes within the security structures. Many countries have abandoned the attitude that the floods and flash floods as the most important natural hazards can be suppressed or controlled, i.e. that can be fought against or placed under full control. With that regard, the attitude of adoptive management of security and rescue from floods and flash floods becomes more and more prevalent, as well as flood risk adjustment or the principle of “living with floods”. Accepting such attitude, relating cultural values of the society, economy, institutional and functional possibilities for the purpose of mitigating vulnerability and providing human security proved prominent in the Republic of Serbia. The state has taken a series of reform steps in view of recognizing its own physical exposure to food risks. At the same time, after such great floods which endangered a large part of the country’s territory, the country recognized its social-economic weaknesses of the community, as well as the necessity to increase the capacity to mobilize the resources in mitigating vulnerability and facilitating human security.

Conclusions

Vulnerability and human security are increasingly viewed in modern terms as cumulative processes interrelated from different aspects, causing a series of other problems that mutually aggravate further or give rise to other issues such as social and economic problems. Vulnerability and human security, in terms of the manifestation of flood risk, are multi-dimensional and characterized by weak infrastructure or institutions and their insufficient ability to respond in preventive and operational terms. Under the circumstances of flood risk manifestation, their power combined with the vulnerability of all exposed elements may result in endangering human security on a large scale in poor and vulnerable areas, especially in places where the highest economic investments are focused. The Republic of Serbia is constantly threatened by natural hazards, particularly floods. Flood risks in the last decade, especially the floods in May 2014, represent an indicator of extreme vulnerability and endangered human security in the state, as well as its lack of resilience to respond financially, organizationally, and functionally to their consequences. The importance of the adopted strategies and laws reflects the state’s attempt to adapt to flood risk and to create an integrated system that would respond to the real vulnerability and human safety of the community with its own renewed resources in an organized and functional manner.

How to cite

Reference – Gačić, J., Jakovljević, V., & Cvetković, V. (2015). Floods in the Republik of Serbia – Vulnerability and Human Security. Twenty Years of Human Security: Theoretical Foundations and Practical Applications, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Security Studies, 277-286, April 2015.