Over the past two years, the world has recorded more than fifty natural disasters, and their intensity is not decreasing, which may be related to climate change. Climate-related extreme events caused economic losses in the 27 Member States of the European Union estimated at €487 billion between 1980 and 2020.
In response to this harsh reality, the module “Disaster Risk Management and EU Law” adopts a human-centered approach to natural hazards, focusing on the individual. It emphasizes the rights of affected persons and acknowledges the dual trauma they experience: the immediate loss of everything they have built over a lifetime, resulting in economic and psychological harm, and the prolonged struggle to return to normal life during the recovery process.
This human-centered perspective leads to an examination of multi-level legal responses to disasters, taking into account international instruments, the EU legal framework, soft law instruments, national and regional regulations (including powers related to states of emergency), and aspects of private law such as torts and contracts.
The aim of the course is to provide a comprehensive overview of the principles and legal framework governing disasters within the EU, addressing critical areas such as climate change adaptation, crisis management, environmental liability, financial instruments, and human rights—all with an emphasis on individuals who are at the center of these challenges.