Local Awareness and ChemFriendly Portal

The youth leaders, from secondary and high schools, will be engaged to promote among young population local awareness and responsibility and lead local youth teams to support local activities mainly in prevention and preparedness for chemical and environmental emergencies and protection of environment. The youth leaders, trained at international summer camps in a format of train the trainers. They will engage young generation in local activities to protect environment and participate in local civil protection activities. They will promote the local awareness and responsibility nationally and internationally. The system of youth leaders will be established, as a pilot case, in local communities in Ukraine and then promoted in Belarus and Moldova.

ICCSS develops and implements local awareness and responsibility to assist local stakeholders to prepare for and respond to chemical and environmental man-made or natural emergencies and disasters thorough:

a. Exchange of information and dissemination of knowledge about activities in the field of hazardous substances at the local level. Social engagement and open access to information is necessary to raise awareness about the dangers of hazardous substances and the importance of preparedness. The more we know about the risks, the better we can understand the proper safety requirements, and there is growing willingness to participate in activities related to the management of emergency responses to hazardous substances.
b. Activation and integration of all local structures and communities, especially in the private sector and civil society. The local community should be actively involved in the process of risk prevention and emergency planning, and participate in an authentic dialogue on how to counter threats and prepare for crisis response and post-crisis activities. All local actors should be involved in determining the needs and resources required to counter threats and for emergency response.
c. Strengthening local institutions, improving emergency response assets, and deepening social ties through regular training, exercises, exchange of experiences and cooperation with specialists. Strengthening local structures, relationships and contacts that connect individuals, state institutions, companies and social organizations, and expanding access to information and knowledge about the risks, are leading factors in effective preparedness for possible crises from either natural causes or human activity.

Local communities are increasingly vulnerable to chemical incidents and terrorist threats due to growing production, transportation, with an emphasis on transnational transit, use and storage of toxic chemicals and energy carriers. Main objective of the project is to create and implement local sustainable policies and responsibility in regards to activities relating to chemicals, planning and responding to the risks associated with such activities and meeting the national and international obligations, and assisting in the development of voluntary fire service to improve response to chemical disasters at a local level, and enhance transnational cooperation to mitigate and respond to such threats. Implementation of the project will foster the creation of local sustainable development policies and cooperation among all local actors in promoting safety and security in the handling of chemicals, response planning for accidents involving hazardous materials and waste management and energy carriers.  The increased cooperation and empowerment of local communities to mitigate chemical and environmental threats will support the development of local democracy and self-governance.

Traditional emergency responses are no longer adequate to meeting the challenges posed by chemical failures and disasters, whether from natural causes or human activity.  Meeting the potential risks associated with chemical activities requires the cooperation of all stakeholders, including governments, industry, civil society organizations and the media. Local communities should know what activities with hazardous substances are taking placing in their vicinity, and participate in dialogue on what resources are required to counter potential threats and minimize potential losses, enhance environment protection and counter cyber threats.

Through regular trainings and exercises, exchange of experience and the engagement of specialists, local campaigns, Local Awareness and ChemFriendly will support:
• Creation of local frameworks for dialogue and coordination of efforts with the cooperation of all local stakeholders, including: local authorities, institutions responsible for law and order and security, private sector and industry, civil society organizations and the media;
• Facilitation of exchanges of information and dissemination of knowledge about activities involving hazardous substances at the local level;
• Activation and involvement of local structures and communities, in the processes of risk prevention and emergency planning;
• Support of local protection against hazards by strengthening institutions, improving emergency response and deepening social ties within local communities.

Long Standing Effects:
• Development of partnerships and communication between administrations, local authorities, citizens and users of chemicals at the local level;
• Development of awareness on the safe use of chemicals;
• Identification of threats related, inter alia, to the storage or transport of hazardous materials; and
• Development of guidelines for local authorities in the development and implementation of emergency response plans.