Decision-makers and civil protection experts meet in Split to strengthen cross-border cooperation on extreme events
30/03/2026
On 19 March 2026, the HANDY project continued its activities in Split with a cross-border event dedicated to decision-makers and national authorities involved in the standardisation of mutual cooperation in case of extreme events.
The event took place at Hotel Le Meridien Lav in Split and was organised by Split-Dalmatia County in the form of a panel discussion titled “Education for Wildfire Risk Management – Experiences and challenges of Italy and Croatia within a broader multi-risk civil protection context.”
Organised back-to-back with the annual conference “Civil Protection and Urban Security”, the panel offered an important opportunity to increase the visibility of the HANDY project and to involve a wider audience of civil protection stakeholders, experts and institutional representatives.
The panel brought together representatives from all project partners and key civil protection actors from Italy and Croatia: Puglia Region, Split-Dalmatia County Firefighting Association, Civil Protection Agency of Abruzzo Region, Civil Protection from Friuli-Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region and Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The panel was moderated by Igor Milić from the Civil Protection Network.
The main objective of the event was to reflect on the capacity-building activities carried out within the HANDY project and to discuss how wildfire risk management can be further developed within a broader multi-risk civil protection framework. The exchange focused on the experiences of Italy and Croatia, two countries that share common challenges related to climate-related risks, coastal territories and the increasing complexity of emergency scenarios.
During the discussion, participants highlighted the importance of strengthening joint preparedness and response capacities, especially in relation to large-scale wildfires that may affect coastal and cross-border areas. The panel also underlined the need to harmonise operational procedures, improve interoperability between firefighting and civil protection units, and reinforce communication and information exchange mechanisms before and during emergencies.
Particular attention was given to education, training and knowledge sharing as essential tools to improve disaster risk management. The use of digital technologies was also recognised as an important element to support coordination, situational awareness and more effective cooperation in emergency situations.
The panel confirmed that cross-border dialogue is fundamental to building stronger and more resilient civil protection systems. By bringing together decision-makers, technical experts and operational actors, the event created a valuable space to share good practices, identify common challenges and explore concrete opportunities for improving cooperation between Italy and Croatia.
Through this event, the HANDY project further strengthened its role as a platform for collaboration, mutual learning and coordinated action in the field of disaster risk management. The discussion in Split represented another important step towards more effective cooperation and improved preparedness for extreme events across the Adriatic area.
