Three EU-funded research projects - Imprints, WeSenseIt and UrbanFlood - have developed unique forecasting and alert systems to provide faster, more accurate flood warnings to notify communities of impending floods.
Imprints software provides a real-time overview
Flood management and prevention is at the heart of the Imprints project which has developed an early warning platform to cut responses to flash floods down to about two hours, and even less – potentially giving people more time to get out of harm’s way.
The platform is based on better rainfall predictions, using meteorological models and weather radar networks. The software is able to predict water flows on the ground and provide a full early warning system for flash floods, the amount of debris they might carry and any potential damage to local infrastructure.
Water services and hydro-meteorological operations in Spain, Switzerland and France are using the project’s innovations to refine their own real-time forecasting systems. Furthermore, flash flood indicators, developed within this project, are used now in the operational European Flood Awareness System.
WeSenseIt uses mobile phone apps
WeSenseIt, a project which ends in September 2016, makes good use of the power of human observation as an essential part of an early warning system. People contribute by taking measurements using new apps currently being developed by the project, and sending information and images by mobile phone. The new technologies and approaches are being tested in Italy, the Netherlands and the UK.
“We have developed mobile apps so that flood wardens in the UK can walk along river banks, and take tagged pictures if they think there is something of concern,” says project coordinator Fabio Ciravegna from the University of Sheffield. In Italy, an evaluation involving some 500 volunteers simulating a flood in the city of Vicenza was completed at the end of March 2014.
UrbanFlood project monitors flood embankments
Dams and river embankments are at risk during a flood. The UrbanFlood project has developed sensors and related technology to monitor flood embankments and provide an early warning of their risk of failing. The underground sensors monitor the state of embankments and any changes to water levels, and other factors such as temperature, moisture and earth movements. The information is then assessed by the project’s modelling software, which can trigger an alert if there is a problem. The software calculates how fast the site will be flooded if the dam fails, and even suggests the best ways to move citizens to safer areas.
European Research, Innovation and Science Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said the EU is continuing to invest in research and innovation into flood management and prevention with the aim of helping governments to take adequate and coordinated measures to reduce risk.
The European Commission's Joint Research Centre is also contributing to the research on floods, with the development of European and Global flood forecasting and monitoring systems such as EFAS, GloFAS and GFDS.
Imprints received €3.3 million under the EU’s 7th Framework Programme (FP7), WeSenseIt received €5.4 million in FP7 funding and the EU provided around €2.3 million in FP7 funding for the UrbanFlood project. The UK was involved in all three projects.
The EU launched its new, seven year Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme in January. Under the programme, over the next seven years almost €80 billion will be invested in research and innovation projects.
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