The Project CIPROGIS “Geographical Information Systems and Civil Protection for the Citizens”, a subproject of the Project PROGRESDEC, aims at developing GIS systems for civil protection in order to increase the citizens’ awareness and keep them updated regarding the encountering of natural and man-made catastrophes, as well as to provide useful information for enhanced territorial planning and programming in the Prefecture of Thessaloniki (GR) and the Community of Viterbo (IT).

The 1st Project Meeting of the CIPROGIS subproject was organized in Viterbo (Italy) in “Sala Conferenze Fondazione Carivit” on 20th April 2007, with the participation of representatives from the Prefectural Authority of Thessaloniki and the Community of Viterbo. Mr. Marco Bracaglia, a member of the City Council of Viterbo and Director of the European Policies and Programmes Department, announced the beginning of the meeting, confirmed the interest and commitment of the Municipality of Viterbo in the CIPROGIS project and its objectives, and expressed his hope for further future cooperation with the Prefectural Authority of Thessaloniki.

The meeting focused on deepening into the issue of civil protection and GIS, as a tool for supporting strategic local development and spatial planning, moving from the fundamental approach of civil protection (Prevention, Preparedness and Response) to the new models proposed by the CIPROGIS concept. Emphasis was given on the development of the GIS pilot platforms that will be used as a tool for encountering natural and man-made catastrophes, as well as providing useful information for enhanced territorial planning and programming.

The representatives of Viterbo pointed out the concept of risk, different typologies and different risk categories, focused on the local main issues of interest, and explained how CIPROGIS will work as a supporting tool to combat severe forest fires, as well as the environmental hazards and traffic volumes that will arise due to the construction of the new airport of Viterbo and the completion of the new road axis Viterbo – Civitavecchia.

The representatives of the Prefectural Authority of Thessaloniki focused on the most important natural and man-made disasters in the prefecture, pointing out the frequent and severe earthquakes in the area, and the ecological crisis in natural resources, such as lake pollution and large-scale fires.

In addition, already recorded best practices in the field of civil protection and GIS were presented and discussed, including the European Generic Emergency Response Information System (EGERIS), the Electronic Risk Management Architecture (ERMA) and the Civil Protection Information System of the City of Florence.

For the next steps of the project, the partners agreed to accelerate all activities. By the end of August 2007 all the scientific material of the Project will have been conducted and the pilot platforms will be fully operational. The foreseen workshop for the presentation of the pilot platforms to local authorities and beneficiaries, and the final meeting of the Project’s Steering Committee will take place by the end of September in the prefecture of Thessaloniki.

Despina Karaly - Prefectural Authority of Thessaloniky

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