The Disaster Expo Europe 2024 provided a platform to enhance conversations between professionals in disaster management, as well as present innovations in disaster risk reduction (DRR) methods such as varied equipment or technology for monitoring, early warning alert systems, decentralised systems in case of emergencies, and capacity building services (among others) to better prepare, respond and recover when natural or man-made hazards affect people or the environment. Many organisations, practitioners and experts working in Europe attended the exhibition, sharing their knowledge about open source platforms that they use in their daily work, related to research and policy analysis; some technological innovations; as well as lessons learned in crisis context and during capacity building interventions.

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KEY POINTS

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1. Speakers and people interviewed during the exhibition emphasised the importance of digital platforms in order to build resilient communities by sharing data and knowledge in a quick and effective way, oriented into strengthening disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. In this regard, youth must be empowered in the use of emerging technologies. Disabled people should also be taken into account and proper protocols should be established to adapt this knowledge.
2. Climate change is aggravating the risks to global water and energy systems, as well as regular operation of businesses (fire and water damages). 
3. There is a substantial insurance protection gap for natural catastrophes in Europe, which is expected to become even wider given the current climate projections. Prevention and adaptation measures can reduce the risks and insured losses. Nowadays, many citizens do not have insurance against natural catastrophes and this should be addressed.
4. The participation of the government and various stakeholders into mainstreaming DRR is crucial, as the process is complex and should be flexible in order to guarantee a sustainable development, avoiding the creation of additional hazards.
5. High-Impact Low Probability (HILP) Events In Urban Areas are more likely to occur under climate change, which will require stress tests relating critical infrastructure and different hazards or unknown events can help to establish protocols to respond to these (identifying capacity gaps and strengthening the resilience of societies).
6. Education and preparedness starts at home, so having emergency kits and plans, as well as getting regular training in first aid and working actively in your community can be key practices to adopt in order to improve our families’ resilience.