Societal resilience, engagement of the younger generations and digital innovation for disaster resilience

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following expected outcomes:

• Developed a tailored education programs for younger generations, incorporating digital tools and gamification to enhance disaster awareness and engagement;

• Strengthened societal resilience by actively involving younger generations, citizens, and local authorities in disaster preparedness and response initiatives;

• Promoted collaborative research that integrates youth perspectives and community involvement, fostering a more resilient society in the face of disasters and crises;

• Enhanced resilience and behaviour of children, young people, and other groups in a vulnerable situation before, during, and after climate-related disasters and health emergencies;

• Training and education tools to engage young people and other populations a vulnerable situation in preparedness and crisis management.

Scope:

This topic focuses on enhancing societal resilience by actively engaging younger generations in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery through digital innovation, education, and community involvement. Projects should develop tailored innovative solutions that integrate digital tools, gamification, and interactive learning methods to improve disaster awareness, risk perception, and response capabilities among younger generations. These initiatives should empower younger generations[1], to become active contributors to resilience-building efforts, equipping them with the knowledge and leadership skills.

Particular attention should be given to the behaviour of children, young people, and other groups in a vulnerable situation before, during, and after climate-related disasters and health emergencies. Participatory approaches, including youth-led initiatives, citizen science, and digital engagement platforms, should be prioritized to enhance community-based resilience and ensure young people’s perspectives are integrated into decision-making processes. These approaches should follow an intersectional approach that gives credit to the (growing) heterogeneity of young people. Best practices from other programmes should be taken into account.

Proposals should also focus on leveraging emerging technologies - such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, social media analytics, and serious games - to engage young people in disaster preparedness and crisis response. Additionally, innovative communication strategies should be explored to enhance youth participation, particularly through digital technologies and social media. Practical examples, including pilots and real-world case studies, should be developed to test and refine these approaches.

Proposals should explore methods to interconnect young people’s data with crisis management teams, practitioners, and authorities, ensuring that their contributions are effectively integrated into emergency response frameworks. Training and education tools should be designed to engage young people and other vulnerable populations in preparedness and crisis management, promoting long-term resilience.

Projects should conduct a stakeholder or market analysis and a roadmap or plan for uptake of the developed methodologies, findings, and technologies to the industry, the research and innovation community, and/or the relevant authorities.

The support and involvement of citizens and civil society is central to achieving the targeted outcomes.

By fostering collaborative research and youth-driven initiatives, projects should contribute to innovative and inclusive resilience strategies that align with EU policies on disaster risk reduction, education, digital transformation, and civil protection. Proposals should ensure synergies with existing initiatives and frameworks, such as the Preparedness Union Strategy’s chapter on population preparedness, Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, as well as the Sendai Disaster Risk Reduction Framework. Finding synergies with projects from operational grants, such as the Knowledge for Action in Prevention & Preparedness (KAPP)[2], is recommend.

Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

[1] In the context of the European Union, youth is typically defined as individuals between the ages of 13 and 30. This definition aligns with the EU's Youth Strategy, which focuses on supporting young people’s personal and professional development. However, some EU programs may adjust the age range slightly depending on the specific context (e.g., education, employment, or participation), but the 13-30 age bracket is recognized in EU policies related to youth.

[2] Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness (KAPP) - European Commission - https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/funding-evaluations/financing-civil-protection/cp-calls-proposals/knowledge-action-prevention-and-preparedness-kapp-0_en