European civil protection experts are travelling to Greenland to work with local and Danish authorities on strengthening emergency preparedness and response in the Arctic.
The mission was requested by Greenland and Denmark through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, an EU framework for coordinating assistance during disasters, the European Commission announced on Monday.
Wildfires, landslides, tsunamis, avalanches and flooding linked to ice melt are among the natural hazards Greenland faces, and these are expected to become more frequent as global warming continues.
Experts from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden will take part, alongside two liaison officers from the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre — the EU’s hub for coordinating disaster response.
They will carry out field visits and work with Greenlandic and Danish authorities and local responders to review emergency planning and coordination, search and rescue, emergency medical response, information management, and arrangements for receiving and coordinating international help if needed.
Joint work and recommendations
After the deployment, the experts are due to provide recommendations on further steps to deepen cooperation and strengthen emergency management and preparedness.
“In the Arctic, distance and extreme conditions can turn an emergency into a crisis very quickly,” Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said.
The mission comes as the EU and Greenland expand cooperation in the Arctic, with the EU, Greenland and Denmark signing a Joint Declaration in Nuuk on 7 September that included civil protection, disaster resilience and crisis preparedness.
