Community Resilience Forum highlights local knowledge and shares best practices internationally

A simultaneously local and international event was organised in Rovaniemi, Akureyri and Limerick, focusing on the best practices and challenges in emergency planning and preparedness, especially in rural communities. 

The national working groups in each country focused on bringing to light the specific local issues, the achievements and challenges in preparing for the unexpected. We recognised that it’s important to understand local conditions, insights and opportunities. Representatives from Finland and Iceland highlighted how strong volunteer networks can strengthen national resilience in times of crisis. In Ireland, the participants emphasized the importance of good communication and engagement before, during and after a significant event.

In the special working groups, representatives of local authorities, volunteer groups and other community organisations from the three countries got to speak with their counterparts from the other countries through remote connections. We gathered good examples and practices which could be utilised elsewhere, and shared the challenges that would need new solutions. For example, great practices for involving volunteers in emergency management are already in place in Iceland and is something that others could benefit from.

Community Resilience Forum also kicked off the development of the toolkit and incident-specific action plans that will be produced as part of NACEMAP. Participating local experts from Ireland, Iceland and Finland shared their experiences with other preparedness tools, described their existing needs, and shared insights from their own operational experiences. Participants also examined existing preparedness toolkits and incident-specific plans to identify desirable design features and potentially effective models for organizing preparedness, response and recovery efforts. We’re looking forward to the development work to be done together during the upcoming months.