Disaster as Discipline: The Deepening of Sustainable Cooperation in the European Union
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Type
Submission
Keywords
European Union, climate disasters, European integration, civil protection, EU Solidarity Fund, rescue, climate politics, environmental governance, disaster governance, civil protection
Major
Political Science
Abstract
Climate disasters are ever-increasing in number and severity throughout Europe. These disasters add pressure on government institutions and transnational cooperation to reform and adjust to the dire consequences. This paper asks: how have major climate disasters strengthened political cooperation for more sustainable policies within the European Union (EU) to have cohesive sustainable governance? This research examines crisis integration, political behaviors associated with climate-related issues, and EU environmental policymaking to understand how and why regulatory changes have taken place. It details structures of several of the EU's disaster-response mechanisms including the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), rescEU capacities, and the EU Solidarity Fund. This study finds that the EU's disaster-response mechanism has allowed for the collaboration of resources and coordinating emergency responses in hopes of financial assistance rebuilding. Unfortunately, bureaucratic delay, funding disagreements, and variability in national capacity limit effective response to climate disasters.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Felicity Vabulas
Funding Source or Research Program
Not Identified
Location
Waves Cafeteria
Start Date
10-4-2026 1:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2026 2:00 PM
Disaster as Discipline: The Deepening of Sustainable Cooperation in the European Union
Waves Cafeteria
Climate disasters are ever-increasing in number and severity throughout Europe. These disasters add pressure on government institutions and transnational cooperation to reform and adjust to the dire consequences. This paper asks: how have major climate disasters strengthened political cooperation for more sustainable policies within the European Union (EU) to have cohesive sustainable governance? This research examines crisis integration, political behaviors associated with climate-related issues, and EU environmental policymaking to understand how and why regulatory changes have taken place. It details structures of several of the EU's disaster-response mechanisms including the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), rescEU capacities, and the EU Solidarity Fund. This study finds that the EU's disaster-response mechanism has allowed for the collaboration of resources and coordinating emergency responses in hopes of financial assistance rebuilding. Unfortunately, bureaucratic delay, funding disagreements, and variability in national capacity limit effective response to climate disasters.