Crisis prevention and critical infrastructure in Western Balkans 

Critical infrastructure systems are the backbone of societies and communities providing vital support and essential services for their functioning i.e. water, energy, transportation, and health, as well as contributing to the economic development, security, inclusion and welfare of their citizens contributing to leaving no one behind. They are complex, interdependent and interconnected systems and networks providing an essential foundation for contemporary sustainable and resilient development.

The purpose of this paper is to support the efforts for building the resilience of critical infrastructure to crises and disasters in the Western Balkans through the understanding of the overall critical infrastructure framework, an overview of the existing context in the six regional economies with recommendations for the way forward in building its resilience at the national and regional levels. In a consequent order, this brief aims to advocate for transformational change in understanding and applying the resilience-building approach in more effective ways to rethink their current approaches and upgrade the capacities and resources for better preparedness for existing, emerging and future unexpected crises.

Read the policy brief here:

Crisis prevention and critical infrastructure in Western Balkans