Austrian Ministry of the Interior, Siegfried Jachs, Head of Unit for Disaster Management and Civil Protection, Siegfried.Jachs@bmi.gv.at
Despite the fact that the Checklist has not been used so far to undergo a systematic review it is noteworthy to mention that the Austrian legal system is basically consistent with many of the aims as set out in the Checklist. Due to the federal governmental system legal provisions for DRR spread over a number of national and subnational laws, this also means that some of the questions in the Checklist are not fully applicable for the Austrian legal system.
Public authorities work continuously on the reduction of disaster risks in Austria. Various activities take place on local, regional and national level comprising risk awareness raising, risk communication activities with specific stakeholders, structural and non-structural measures to mitigate the potential impact of natural hazards, preparedness planning, education and training as well as exercises. Key activities are for instance the implementation of the EU flood directive, the establishment of a national platform for DRR, a long-term strategy for flood and torrent protection, the revision of the climate change adaptation strategy and the work on a new multi-channel warning system.
The Ministry of the Interior works together with non-governmental organizations like the Austrian Civil Protection Association and the Federal Fire Brigade Association in order to promote first aid knowledge among the population, specifically among children. A key project is the Children´s Safety Olympics which is a nationwide competition among school classes with the aim to improve behavior and first aid in case of emergencies and disasters. Austria is also running a nationwide network of safety information centers at municipal level where for instance courses in self-protection are offered to the interested public. The Ministry of Interior has recently increased funding for these activities. Furthermore other ministries and NGOs like the Red Cross are also active in this field. Various channels are used to disseminate information like websites, online-games, printed material, workshops and seminars etc. The legal framework for this activities is provided by subnational law (rescue services acts, disaster management acts) which means that legislation varies from province to province.
- Resolution 4 : Adoption of the Strategic Framework on Disability Inclusion by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
- Resolution 3 : Sexual and gender-based violence: joint action on prevention and response