The government adopted the third disaster risk assessment for Croatia on Wednesday, which identifies 15 unacceptable, tolerable and acceptable risks in order to define investment priorities in disaster risk management.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said that the government adopted the first disaster risk assessment in 2015 and the second in 2019 and that they mainly focused on climate change.

Due to the increase in disasters and their complexity, from epidemics, earthquakes, floods and forest fires to bird flu and swine fever, the assessments need to be redefined and adapted, which is the standard in international disaster risk management, so a third disaster risk assessment has been adopted, he said.

Each such assessment is key to creating and updating other strategic documents and plans, he added.

The government also adopted a decision on critical infrastructure at risk of disasters in the areas of energy, ICT, transport, healthcare, water management, food, finance, production, storage and transport of hazardous substances, public sector, national monuments and assets, science and education.

Therefore, every EU Member country is obliged to identify and protect its vital networks, systems and buildings and to ensure the provision of services that are crucial for the economic and security stability of a state, said Bozinovic.