VERA
The VERA project addresses the transboundary nature of many natural and man-made disasters, whose impacts and risks extend beyond national borders due to their spatial scope and the scale of human, economic, and environmental consequences. Building on the achievements of the VESPRA project (GA/2020/101004896), VERA aims to enhance cross-border risk management mechanisms with a robust multi-risk approach.
In VESPRA, key results included: (1) a harmonized catalogue of vulnerable elements for cross-border application, (2) a scalable platform for vulnerability data collection, and (3) a decision-making tool tailored to four specific hazards (meteorological, industrial, nuclear, and forest fires). These components were tested in real exercises along the Spanish-Portuguese border.
With growing interest in these outcomes, VERA has been proposed under the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) to expand the previous project’s capabilities. VERA will leverage existing European data services (Copernicus, Galileo, JRC) to extend the platform’s functionality across both the Spanish-Portuguese and Spanish-French borders, with demonstrations conducted on-site.
The project will run for 24 months, with a preliminary system version ready by month 10 for testing and refinement before final implementation.
COLLARIS network
COLLARIS is a capacity-building initiative to develop a sustainable European network for expertise in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) applications in civil protection and disaster response. Recognizing the critical role of scientific advances and rapidly evolving drone technology across the disaster risk management cycle, COLLARIS focuses on these key areas:
- Operational Procedures and Best Practices: Identifying and sharing effective UAS operational procedures and lessons learned.
- Air Traffic Management: Addressing challenges and implementing operational solutions for UAS airspace management.
- Data Solutions and Support Systems: Acquiring data analysis and sharing solutions, alongside support tools like simulators.
- End-User Competency Development: Creating methods to enhance the skills of civil protection and disaster response end-users.
- Future Use Case Foresight: Anticipating future needs, gaps, and potential applications as UAS technology advances.
COLLARIS is based on two core assumptions: (1) UAS capabilities will continue to progress rapidly, expanding their utility in civil protection and crisis management; (2) there is a persistent need to bridge the gap between new UAS capabilities and current operational practices. Establishing COLLARIS as a long-term mechanism aims to support the gradual integration of UAS innovations in the civil protection community.
As part of the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network, COLLARIS will provide a networking platform for information exchange and testing advanced UAS concepts in disaster response. Activities include workshops, webinars, trials, and first responder training to make UAS knowledge more accessible for operational use.
Civil protection authorities, first responders, crisis management practitioners, and researchers are encouraged to join COLLARIS to engage with the latest UAS developments and applications in disaster response.
