Protection of critical infrastructure from is the central topic of this scientific publication.

Abstract

Protection of critical infrastructure is one of the significant measures for mitigating the consequences of natural disasters. As such, it is recognized as the foundation for maintaining the functionality of the community in emergency situations. It can be said that the main goal of protecting critical infrastructure from the impact of natural disasters is to maintain continuity in its operation. Reducing the impact of natural disasters on people and critical infrastructure involves interventions aimed at preventing or reducing the possibility of physical threats and social disruption. There are two dominant types of reducing the impact of natural disasters: structural and non-structural. Structural reduction involves designing, constructing, maintaining, and renovating physical structures and infrastructures to resist the physical forces and impacts of natural disasters, while non-structural reductions include efforts to reduce the exposure of the human population, physical structures, and infrastructures to hazardous conditions. Non-structural reduction approaches include legally adopted urban planning measures that consider the potential impacts of disasters; regulating development in high-risk zones such as sloped terrains prone to landslides and coastal areas targeted by storm waves; and even in some cases, the purchase and relocation of communities or parts of communities. Therefore, in this paper, the author analyzes the possibilities of protecting critical infrastructure from the direct and indirect consequences of natural disasters, with particular attention to structural and non-structural measures for their protection. Additionally, special attention is paid to the phenomenological structure and consequences of different types of natural disasters on critical infrastructure.

Conclusions

Natural disasters are part of the ecological sphere in which we live. Hurricanes, floods, winter storms, and earthquakes play an important role in regulating the larger natural systems on which we all depend. Attempts to physically modify these systems often have serious consequences, including increased vulnerability to hazards and damage after disasters. The vulnerability of critical infrastructure is closely related to resilience, which implies the capacity of such systems to recover from the consequences of disasters or their capacity to respond to and cope with extreme hazards. Quantitative approaches in engineering sciences attempt to assess the resilience of infrastructure with the goal of reducing losses through research and the application of advanced technologies that enhance engineering, pre-disaster planning strategies, and post-disaster recovery strategies. To adequately protect critical infrastructure with the help of various structural and non-structural measures, it is very important to have a good understanding of the primary and secondary impacts of natural disasters. Therefore, the first step in protecting critical infrastructure would be to conduct a vulnerability assessment of the local government territory, which would identify all potential natural disasters. Following this, appropriate measures would need to be taken to improve the resilience of the critical infrastructure that is crucial for the functioning of communities. Resilient communities may bend before the extreme impact of natural disasters but do not break. They are consciously built to be strong and flexible, not brittle and fragile. Their vital systems of roads, utilities, and other support institutions are designed to continue functioning in the face of rising water, strong winds, and earthquakes. Settlements and businesses, their hospitals, and public safety centers are located in safe areas rather than in known high-risk areas. In such communities, buildings are constructed or adapted to meet building standards designed to mitigate the threats of natural hazards. Natural ecological protection systems such as dunes and wetlands are preserved to maintain their hazard mitigation functions as well as their traditional uses. Therefore, disaster-resilient communities are more sustainable than those that do not develop a comprehensive strategy that incorporates hazard mitigation into their current and ongoing activities of construction, design, and planning of critical infrastructure. Taking appropriate measures to ensure greater resilience and sustainability primarily requires gaining greater respect for the hazards that dominate a particular area. Communities around the world have numerous structural and non-structural measures at their disposal to protect critical infrastructure from the consequences of natural disasters. The resilience of the critical infrastructure and the local community depends on the degree of respect for the necessity of their implementation. For such communities, critical infrastructure built according to appropriate laws can be more resilient to the various consequences and impacts of natural disasters. Therefore, it is less likely that such infrastructure will be damaged by strong winds, floods, storm surges, earthquakes, etc. It is also very important to involve experts from all possible social and natural profiles in improving the resilience of critical infrastructure, who will comprehensively assess and improve the weak points of the critical infrastructure.

How to cite

Reference – Cvetković, V. (2014). Zaštita kritične infrastrukture od posledica prirodnih katastrofa. Sedma međunarodna znastveno-stručna konferencija ,,Dani kriznog upravlјanja“. Hrvatska: Velika Gorica, 22. i 23. maj, 1281-1295. challenges of crisis management, At 24, 25 and 26 May 2017.