Minister Jevšek: Total flood damage assessment covers direct damage and recovery
Minister Dr Aleksander Jevšek | Author Government Communication Office
In a press statement after the Government session, Dr Aleksander Jevšek, Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development, explained that 183 out of 212 Slovenian municipalities were affected by floods and landslides. As many as 104 municipalities were severely affected. The total area affected is estimated at 17,203 km2. The total estimate of the direct damage caused by the natural disaster and the consequences for the affected population, economy and environment is approximately EUR 9.9 billion.
“As this is the worst natural disaster to hit Slovenia and the damage or consequences need to be assessed in a short timeframe, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has decided to use the internationally recognised Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) methodology. This methodology allows for a comprehensive and rapid post-disaster assessment and the preparation of recovery plans. It allows for a uniform and comparable assessment of the cost of bringing everyday life back to normal, considering that such a large-scale reconstruction takes several years,” said Minister Jevšek.
The PDNA method builds on existing established national damage assessment methodologies. The Minister illustrated the application of the methodology with the concrete example of a 50-year-old building, which was destroyed completely by floods and needed replacement. “The assessment of the consequences according to this methodology includes the cost of constructing a new building, considering the total cost of construction in today’s time, and not just the value of the old building. It does not include improvements, such as the installation of a new solar power plant if the original building did not have one,” explained Minister Jevšek.
The assessment of the direct damage caused by the disaster presented today is crucial for the preparation of the application for financial assistance from the European Union Solidarity Fund. Slovenia will submit its application to the European Commission by the deadline of 27 October 2023.
At the end of his statement, the Minister also thanked all those who had contributed in any way to the preparation of the damage assessment and for the swift and excellent work they had done.