Moving from emergency alert to actionable intelligence
Europe’s extreme weather and climate events are intensifying. “There is growing awareness of the need for anticipatory action. Existing early warning systems are mostly designed to detect hazards, not to provide actionable information or anticipate impacts,” explains GOBEYOND(opens in new window) project coordinator Daniel Sempere-Torres from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia(opens in new window) (UPC). To address this gap, GOBEYOND is developing an advanced ‘Multi-Risk Impact-based Early Warning System’ (MR-IEWS). It assesses geological and weather risks such as wildfires, flooding and drought, and identifies not only where and when a disaster will occur, but also who and what will most likely be impacted. This information is then fed into other digital tools to support better decision-making by civil protection authorities and first responders. MR-IEWS was co-designed within Living Labs(opens in new window) where scientists, technology developers, civil protection authorities, first responders and communities (regional and local) worked together to define needs and test solutions. “Converting diverse data into actionable information is very challenging,” adds Sempere-Torres. “Local exposure and vulnerability datasets differ in detail and format, while geophysical and meteorological early warning algorithms differ in nature and timescales.”
Real-life testing of impact-based warnings
GOBEYOND’s MR-IEWS comprises two families of platforms: one for tailored regional decision support systems (DSSs), the other for forecasting impacts in European (EW4EU) and Mediterranean (EW4MED) Member States. The DSS platforms integrate trusted real-time local and regional data to generate site- and time-specific warnings about hazard events. Civil protection authorities access this information through a digital dashboard, and automatic alerts can be sent to emergency managers. Real-time operational demonstrations(opens in new window) of the DSS are being conducted across five regional and five municipal sites including Andalusia in Spain, Chefchaouen Province in Morocco, and the Attica region of Greece, representing a variety of environmental hazards and geographical contexts.
Turning risk information into market-ready services
In Morocco, EW4MED helped the Ministry of the Interior protect over 140 000 citizens through rapid assessments of flooded areas, thanks to the relatively new integration of satellite imagery. Meanwhile, local authorities in Estepona, Spain used one of the DSS tailored platforms to identify and monitor flood-prone locations, allowing them to quickly take preventive measures such as closing roads. Advanced features have also been added to the EW4MED platform, such as an artificial intelligence (AI)-based forest fire risk assessment tool developed by the CIMA Research Foundation through GOBEYOND’s Innovation Prize Open Call(opens in new window). It simulates fire propagation and estimates impacts on populations and infrastructure. “Adopting advanced specialist components like AI-driven wildfire simulations as they are developed, helps build a comprehensive one-stop shop for disaster management, making our solution attractive in the marketplace,” notes Sempere. The project is now developing a business model for cloud-based services integrating customisable GOBEYOND products in line with user needs, creating a scalable value proposition in a growing market for climate and disaster risk services.
From response to active prevention
Once released in summer 2027, GOBEYOND’s suite of early warning platforms will support the objectives of EU initiatives such as the EU civil protection mechanism(opens in new window) and the European integrated framework for climate resilience, helping Member States to anticipate and prepare for the growing impacts of climate change.
