Prioritising people-centred early warning systems
Europe is the fastest-warming continent(opens in new window), according to the World Meteorological Organization. This is having devastating consequences, with extreme weather and climate events increasing in intensity. For example, around 2 million people(opens in new window) across central Europe were affected by flooding in 2024, followed weeks later by devastating flash floods in Valencia(opens in new window), Spain. As a result, there is growing awareness of the need for anticipatory action. “The problem with existing early warning systems is that they are 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).
Assessing geological and weather risks
To address this gap, GOBEYOND is developing an advanced ‘Multi-Risk Impact-based Early Warning System’ (MR-IEWS). This assesses geological and weather risks and identifies not only where and when a disaster will occur, but who and what will most likely be impacted. This information is then fed into digital tools to support better decision-making by civil protection authorities and first responders. “Rather than reinventing the wheel, MR-IEWS builds on existing solutions developed by earlier EU projects, such as ANYWHERE(opens in new window), which pioneered real-time weather impact forecasting and decision-support tools,” says Sempere-Torres. MR-IEWS was co-designed within Living Labs(opens in new window). Here, 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.”
Testing impact-based warnings
Out of this work, two families of platforms have been created. The first provides European and Mediterranean forecasting coverage (EW4EU and EW4MED, respectively), while the other offers tailored regional/local decision support systems (DSSs). The DSS platform connects impact-based forecasts with location-specific warnings about forthcoming events such as storms or floods, triggering predefined civil protection or evacuation protocols. The relevant authorities can access this information through a digital dashboard, while automatic alerts can also be sent to emergency managers. The team is currently conducting real-time(opens in new window) operational demonstrations of the DSS across five regional and five municipal pilot sites. These sites represent a variety of contexts and hazard profiles, including wildfires, flooding and drought. “This real-world testing is already confirming that impact-based warnings lead to faster response and better situational awareness during critical events. By integrating real emergency workflows and working together with end users from day one, we are ensuring the solution is operationally practical, effective and fully scalable,” notes Sempere-Torres.
People-centred and actionable information
A key milestone was reached in early 2025, with the first operational prototypes of the EW4EU and EW4MED platforms. “Since demonstrating the initial capabilities of these platforms, we continue to work closely with civil protection agencies and first responders,” says Sempere-Torres. “For example, the local platform prototype was successfully used during a tsunami drill in Cádiz last November.” While continuing these 24/7 real-time pilot demonstrations, a Community of Practice(opens in new window) is being established to build first responder capacity, complemented by hands-on training. In tandem, partners are exploring commercialisation possibilities, with practical adoption options for authorities and operators, alongside interoperability and data governance guidance. The final suite of validated MR-IEWS platforms is planned for release in summer 2027 at GOBEYOND’s final Workshop in Athens, open to all interested parties. Finally, by focusing more on impact assessments than hazard assessments, GOBEYOND is helping to implement the objectives of a range of EU initiatives. These include the Union Civil Protection Mechanism(opens in new window), EU preparedness union strategy(opens in new window) and EU climate adaptation strategy(opens in new window). The project is also in line with the aims of the UN’s Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction(opens in new window).