European Parliament Intergroup Backs UNDRR Youth Disaster Resilience Campaign

STRASBOURG — Members of the European Parliament announced their support in September 2026 for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction's (UNDRR) "Are You Ready?" campaign, aiming to engage young people and educators in disaster risk reduction and school safety as the school year begins across Europe.

The backing from the European Parliament Intergroup on Resilience, Disaster Management and Civil Protection coincides with a Back to School activation for the campaign. The initiative encourages policymakers, educators, parents, and youth to focus on disaster preparedness following a summer characterized by severe weather events across the continent.

On 15 September, Members of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Irish Presidency of the Council evaluated the impact of summer 2026's extreme weather during a plenary debate on European Union preparedness. Officials reported that the season resulted in more than 35,000 excess deaths, nearly 700,000 burned hectares across the EU, and record-low water levels in major waterways such as the Danube and Rhine.

The debate emphasized enhancing EU capacity to handle frequent extreme weather events as the European Parliament prepares its position on expanding the EU Civil Protection Mechanism under the next Multiannual Financial Framework, which proposes increased funding and a broader operational scope.

Intergroup Co-Chair Grégory Allione and Vice-Chair Annalisa Corrado both called for increased action and investment in resilience following the summer's heatwaves, droughts, and forest fires.

The UNDRR provides technical input to the European Parliament Intergroup to support the inclusion of disaster risk reduction in policy discussions regarding climate adaptation, civil protection, and education. The current campaign serves as a lead-up to the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on 13 October, alongside an upcoming visit by UNDRR Special Representative Kamal Kishore to Brussels.

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