Poland National Platform

History

Since 2018, the national Sendai Framework focal point for DRR is located in the Government Centre for Security, and is responsible for running the Polish national platform for DRR. The platform was formally established in 2009 by official notification from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the ISDR Secretariat in Geneva and is continuing activities of the former Polish IDNDR Committee created in 1991. Before 2018, the focal point was located in the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management in Warsaw.

Structure

Within the structure of the Polish national platform for DRR, the following bodies are represented: 

• Government Centre for Security
• Representatives of ministries, voivodeships, government offices and institutions
• Representatives of regional governments and local government organizations
• Representatives of emergency services
• Research and scientific institutes, academies and universities
• Operators of critical infrastructure
• Representatives of NGOs
• National Insurance Service

Mandate

The Polish national platform for DRR actively participates in common initiatives concerning: 

• Creation of research programmes connected with protection systems
• Sharing experience in the risk management, especially in area of hazards identified in the Report on Threats to National Security
• Training on current risks of extreme environmental threats
• Early warning systems
• Education and information systems on unusual threats
• Dealing with disinformation as a disorganizing factor in efficient crisis management and especially in cyberspace 

The detailed areas of activity include those mentioned below. 

Strategic priorities, which are as follows: 

• Social and sociological protection of the population. The Polish platform takes into account the psychological consequences of disasters and the prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder in people exposed to occupational traumatization.
• Forecasting dangerous events
• Promoting innovative technologies, especially in the area of crisis management
• Implementing activities in the field of adaptation to climate change. Carrying out and implementation of research works in the scope of natural threats (prevention, preparedness, response, recovery). Cooperating with national institutions responsible for creating legislation and providing funding for local stakeholders including residents, private entities or NGOs. The crucial element is the awareness of local communities about climate change. For instance, the Polish city Wrocław has joined the world's centres for building city resilience (Resilience Hubs).
• Preparation of land-use plans, including in high-risk areas
• Public education
• Information and communication systems:
  • Government Centre for Security: Creation and operation of the GISBN National Security geospatial system, which aimed at building situational awareness through monitoring and analysis of selected threats important for national security, including those related to the war in Ukraine, as well as collecting data on disasters, natural and caused by human activity. This system has evolved from the GISCOVID-19 system, which was ensuring support for decision-making processes at the central and regional levels, providing services and relevant entities with the necessary data related to the selected crisis situation, and providing the public with access to current maps visualizing the presented threat (for instance, a report on COVID-19 infections).
  • Platform member: Develop geographic information system tools in monitoring the migration situation.
• Risk assessment and methods of reduction of hazard effects
• Dissemination of artificial intelligence solutions within tasks carried out within the framework of the crisis management system 

DRR system improvements including: 

• Organizational, operational and legal
• Economic and financial
• Coordination and cooperation of governments, organizations and people's activities in extreme situations

Budget

The Polish national platform for DRR is an NGO. Currently, the platform has no specific budget and activities are financed from the budget of the Government Centre for Security.