Romanian Senate Chairman Calls On Govt To Come Up With Anti-Flood Strategy

„I believe it is the Government’s obligation to urgently stand before Parliament with a multi-year strategy to prevent and combat natural disasters, as well as a plan of action on the reconstruction of dams and elements protection floodable areas. This must be done without delay, because this fall there may be new heavy rains, which means a new wave of floods,” Geoana said.

The Senate Chairman also said Romania should channel its efforts to support the European Observatory, a centralized structure which could warn member states about the proximity of a catastrophe, in light of European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Kristalina Georgieva’s statement that it falls on member states to take charge of disaster management.

In Geoana’s opinion, the floods which affected northern Romania in recent days have brought to light the „chronic” deficiencies in the country’s administration. He said the Government has handled the situation superficially, since there are no risk maps, forestation strategies or solid measures for flood relief.

„In the absence of such measures, authorities are forced to improvise every year. The efforts of gendarmes and Emergency Situation Inspectorate employees cannot replace an anti-flood strategy,” Geoana said.

Romanian President Traian Basescu on Wednesday said Romania has „no resources” to change things for the better and be ready to better cope with potential waves of floods in the future.

Speaking on public radio, Basescu said the country hasn’t got any resources to improve things in order to better tackle any unfortunate flood-related situations this coming fall or in 2011. He stressed Romania is prone to even worse situations unless it continues to slash public spending and added „it is very difficult to estimate the resources” needed to cushion the effects of recent floods.