Andorra Sets 2026 Goals for Emergency Plans and Risk Maps

Andorra's Civil Protection and Emergency Management department has identified the approval of its initial emergency plans and risk maps as central goals for 2026, capping off technical preparations carried out through 2025.

The department's annual report for last year labels it a "key" period for solidifying the national framework. Achievements encompassed progress on the National Territorial Plan, special plans, and the framework for an upcoming 112 service along with a National Emergency Centre. Pressing tasks ahead include enacting regulations from the qualified Civil Protection Law, with a focus on activities and events, as well as introducing a mass alert system via cell broadcast technology by the end of 2026. A stopgap SMS notification system will persist to bolster crisis communications in the interim.

On the operational front, the department managed seven activations in 2025, conducted five exercises—including an avalanche drill at Arcalís and a seismic emergency simulation—and oversaw security for large-scale occasions like the Small States Games. Training initiatives involved 19 sessions, drawing 2,597 participants for basic civil protection courses. The department also refreshed 28 mountain safety panels with details in four languages.

A standout development was establishing the Civil Protection Volunteer Corps, which trained its inaugural group of 25 members. Looking to 2026, officials aim to recruit 15 additional volunteers, creating a core team of 40 to bolster prevention and assistance amid rising emergency frequency and complexity.