A new survey by the European Union looks at EU citizens’ awareness of disaster risks, preparedness for emergency situations and trust in various actors in disaster situations.
Important results of the survey are probably the type of disaster that the majority of citizens feel threatened by. The main causes were: extreme weather events 38%, health 27% and flooding 26%. In addition, 49% of citizens state that they mainly use national media to inform themselves about disasters and risks.
However, significantly fewer citizens actively prepare for an emergency. 29% keep an emergency or food supply and 20% of respondents each keep an emergency supply of water for cooking and hygiene or a battery-powered radio. Overall, 58% of EU citizens surveyed do not feel well prepared for a disaster that could affect them.
Further information on the EU survey can be found here.
(Picture source: European Union)