Civil Defence Research | The greatest dangers for Cypriots and the trust in the Authorities – CHARTS

Defence Redefined

Published on 24/11/2020 at 10:13

The first pancyprian survey on the citizens’ perceptions of risks and civil protection was presented (on Monday, November 23) by the Civil Defence in the context of a study on the reorganization and strengthening of its mission.

The research is both quantitative, as it was conducted through telephone calls with a sample of 600 citizens, but also qualitative as it involved focus groups and questionnaires, and was conducted by the Civil Defence in collaboration with the IMR company of the University of Nicosia. 

The research findings focus on how public opinion prioritizes risks from natural or man-made causes, how citizens evaluate the role of Civil Defence and other essential state services, and how much they can contribute through self-protection measures. Citizens are more likely to be at risk of forest fires. This is followed by the risks of pandemics, marine pollution and water scarcity, as well as the risks of technological accidents, earthquakes, sea level rise and floods. 

In addition, they positively evaluate the efficiency of essential services, especially the Fire Service, the Forest Department, the Hospitals, the Civil Defence and the Police, followed by Schools, the Army, the Social Services, the Church and the Local Government.

Regarding the role of Civil Defence, the research records very interesting findings for those who participate as volunteers or conscripts, who evaluate their participation as very useful (18%) or quite useful (41%). They are very satisfied with the acquisition of skills in matters of first aid and other knowledge, the information on taking self-protection measures and the offer to their fellowmen.

The Deputy Commander of the Civil Defense, Kyriakos Hadjigeorgiou, referred to the role and modern mission of the Civil Defence, especially in the environment defined by the European Union, where priority is given to the protection of the population. He also referred to the study carried out for the evolution of the organization, in order to acquire a new structure and organization chart, to attract volunteers and to meet the new needs of the Republic of Cyprus in the field of civil protection. Mr. Hadjigeorgiou underlined that the Civil Defence has gained extensive experience in recent years from the implementation of European programs, through which it has succeeded in transferring the know-how, acquiring modern equipment and raising significant resources.

Mikaella Mala, Civil Defence Officer, presented the information campaign that is currently being implemented so as to deal with the risk of floods due to the phenomenon of rapid floods. With an institutional obligation to the European Union, the Department of Water Development has prepared interactive maps for flood risk areas that are accessible to the public via the internet. Civil Defence also releases information material that includes a number of self-protection measures.

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