The participants will discuss priorities for flood prevention and generate recommendations for future prevention. Michael Pillsbury, Program Director, will open the conference and Mr. Boško Stančić, Mayor of Vlasotince, will also address the audience.
This conference coincides with the 20th anniversary of the catastrophic flood that occurred in Vlasotince in 1988, and falls on the one year anniversary following the devastating 2007 floods that affected the entire region of Southern Serbia. By examining the lessons that emerged following the experience of past floods, the objective of the conference is to emphasize the importance of taking preventative measures. Additionally, the conference will create a forum for exchanging experiences, gaining new knowledge, and establishing better cooperation amongst municipal actors.
The event will gather municipal representatives from disaster management teams from municipalities of Pčinja, Jablanica and Pirot districts, the Ministries of Defense, Interior, and Public Administration and Local Self-Government, National Investment Plan (NIP) representatives, “Srbijavode” public water company, the Red Cross of Serbia as well as USAID and Preparedness and Planning Program representatives.
USAID’s Preparedness and Planning Program builds a sustainable and systematic approach to local-level disaster management and assists municipalities to meet domestic legal obligations and international standards in disaster management and response. Municipalities meeting these standards are certified as ‘disaster resilient’. Currently, 50 municipalities in Serbia are included in program activities.
Journalists interested in attending the Conference are kindly invited to be at “Grozd” Hotel, Vlasotince, on Tuesday, December 9, at 11:15.
