A team of European civil protection experts is heading to Greenland to support efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness and response in the Arctic.
On request from Greenland and Denmark through the EU civil protection mechanism, the European Commission has launched this mission to explore how cooperation on civil preparedness can be further strengthened, in the face of growing climate risks in the region.
Wildfires, landslides, tsunamis, avalanches and flooding from ice melt are among natural hazards in Greenland, which are expected to become more frequent as a consequence of global warming.
In this context, experts from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden, together with 2 liaison officers from the Commission’s emergency response coordination centre, will work with Greenlandic and Danish authorities and local responders and carry out field visits. They will review emergency planning and coordination, search and rescue, emergency medical response, natural hazards, information management, and arrangements for receiving and coordinating international assistance if needed.
Following the deployment, experts will provide recommendations on possible further steps to deepen cooperation and strengthen our collective emergency management and preparedness.
Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said:
‘In the Arctic, distance and extreme conditions can turn an emergency into a crisis very quickly. This mission is about building on Greenlandic resilience, bringing together our expertise, and learning together how preparedness can be better supported. We cannot choose when the next crisis comes. We can choose how ready we are.’
The mission also comes as the EU and Greenland deepen their cooperation in the Arctic. During President von der Leyen’s visit to Nuuk on 7 September, the EU, Greenland and Denmark signed a new Joint Declaration deepening cooperation, including on civil protection, disaster resilience, and crisis preparedness.
