Disaster resilience refers to the ability of individuals, communities, organizations, and systems to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from hazardous events. It encompasses the capacity to withstand and recover from disasters, minimizing the impact on lives, property, and livelihoods. Over the past two decades, the international disasters database EM-DAT has documented 7,348 natural disasters. These events have resulted in 1.23 million lives lost and over 4 billion people affected. Moreover, €2.77 trillion is estimated in economic damages globally.
Contemporary disaster resilient technology involves a variety of sophisticated tools and systems which, when incorporated into comprehensive disaster resilience strategies, greatly enhance the ability to mitigate the effects of natural and man-made hazards. Early warning systems as well as Smart City technologies are both essential technological tools towards the achievement of reduced disaster risk and resilience enhancement. However, disaster resilience is a complex issue which cannot be addressed by technology alone, as it involves countless stakeholders and faces unique challenges such as the need for coordinated efforts among government agencies, NGOs, the private sector, and communities. Therefore, future disaster resilience efforts should focus on integrative approaches that combine technology, policy and community engagement.
PANTHEON is an ambitious EU project designed to significantly enhance disaster resilience through the integration of advanced technologies and community participation. Its main objective is to improve disaster resilience models by developing evidence-based tools, thus assisting Risk and Vulnerability Assessments and providing enhanced accuracy in evaluating risks and identifying vulnerable areas. The PANTHEON decision support system will encompass improved tools and models for decision-making to assist national and regional stakeholders, backed with a Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) approach which encourages community engagement and participation in disaster preparedness and response.
To achieve this goal, several challenges need to be overcome. PANTHEON will have to tackle numerous technical challenges such as data integration and interoperability, ensuring compatibility and seamless communication with the systems used by the end users, who will mostly be disaster management professionals such as police, rescuers, civil protection authorities, etc. Another challenge is the active involvement of community stakeholders. Engaging diverse community members, including vulnerable groups’ representatives, is crucial for the success of the PANTHEON project, as their input ensures that tools developed and resilience measures taken are tailored to real needs, priorities, and circumstances.
More information about the PANTHEON objectives and developments can be found in the project's website [https://pantheon-project.eu/] and the PANTHEON Stakeholder Group (PSG) on the Crisis Management Innovation Network Europe (CMINE) [cmine.eu].
