This project is a policy-directed assessment exercise, setting to assist the relevant authorities to better appreciate the risks posed by droughts and floods. It does so by collecting the data about past disasters, filling-up the knowledge gaps - in particular about indirect and intangible losses, both economic and social ones, and by improving risk assessment methods and approaches in place in four participating countries: Italy, Spain, Belgium and Germany. The knowledge collected and/or improved by this project will be instrumental to several EU policies and national efforts to mitigate the natural hazard risk.

First, the designated river basin authorities are now in process of implementing the provision of the Water Framework Directive and Flood Risk Management Directive, thus assessing hazard and risk posed by the extreme hydro-meteorological events. This is not an easy task and in many cases the new policies´ provisions mark a shift away from the habitual practices.

Second, the Member States are putting significant efforts to implement the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) and the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), thus improving knowledge about disaster reduction; identifying, assessing and monitoring disaster risks; and reducing the underlying risk factors.

Drawing on a bulk of recent EC research results, the PREEMPT project will contribute to these efforts and help to build a culture of evidence-based risk prevention practice.