Deployment and Assessment of Predictive modelling, environmentally sustainable and emerging digital technologies and tools for improving the resilience of IWW against Climate change and other extremes

Project Information

PLOTO

Grant agreement ID: 101069941

DOI

10.3030/101069941

Project closed

EC signature date 8 June 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 28 February 2026

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 8 715 422,50

EU contribution

€ 7 497 694,38

Coordinated by

NETCOMPANY SA
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PLOTO (Deployment and Assessment of Predictive modelling, environmentally sustainable and emerging digital technologies and tools for improving the resilience of IWW against Climate change and other extremes)

Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The PLOTO project aims at increasing the resilience of the IWW and the connected hinterland infrastructures, especially under adverse conditions, such as extreme weather, accidents and other kinds of hazards. In doing this, downscaled climate change scenarios will be combined with simulation tools and actual data, to provide operators an integrated tool able to support more effective management of their infrastructures at strategic and operational levels.

The PLOTO project consists in the deployment and assessment of predictive modelling, environmentally sustainable and emerging digital technologies and tools for improving the resilience of IWW against climate change and other extremes. An integrated tool is set up to allow relevant authorities to improve the efficiency of their infrastructures management. This tool is a combination of downscaled climate change scenarios with simulation tools and actual data. Six complementary avenues will be considered to achieve this integrated tool that will support relevant authorities and their operators for more effective management:

1) Measure and use high-resolution modelling data for the determination and assessment of the climatic risk of the selected transport infrastructures and associated expected damages.
2) Use existing data from various sources with new types of sensor-generated data (computer vision) to feed the used simulator.
3) Utilize tailored weather forecasts (combining seamlessly all available data sources) for specific hot spots, providing real-time early warnings with corresponding impact assessment.
4) Develop improved multi-temporal, multi-sensor UAV- and satellite-based observations with robust spectral analysis, computer vision and machine learning-based assessment for diverse transport infrastructures.
5) Design and implement an integrated resilience assessment platform environment as an innovative planning tool that will permit a quantitative resilience assessment through an end-to-end simulation environment, running “what-if” impact/risk/resilience assessment scenarios. The effects of adaptation measures can be investigated by changing the hazard, exposure and vulnerability input parameters.
6) Design and implement a Common Operational Picture (COP), including an enhanced visualization interface and an Incident Management System (IMS).

The PLOTO integrated platform and its tools will be validated in three case studies in Belgium, Romania and Hungary.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The main achievements and results of the PLOTO project during the seocnd reporting period (M19-M30) can be summarized as follows:

1. Customized and optimized adaptation and mitigation measures for Inland Waterways (IWW), integrating Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) at real-world sites (under T2.5). The aim is to assess these measures' performance and confirm their effectiveness in adapting to climate impacts.
2. Developed tools to assess and respond to climate-related risks, including finalized methods for downscaling climate and atmospheric stressors, a real-time forecasting platform for all Use Case areas, a data assimilation system integrated with the middleware, and models for long-term climate risk indicators.
3. Delivered key components for multi-hazard risk and resilience assessment, including finalized hydraulic and exposure models for all use cases, vulnerability assessment tools for seismic and flood events, and a holistic risk assessment framework covering both pre- and post-event phases.
4. A comprehensive framework for monitoring IWW corridors has been developed and implemented. This framework integrates data from three levels of remote sensing: satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and ground-based sensors. The emphasis lies on the optimal utilization of various sensor types, both active and passive, to effectively address the specific monitoring requirements of different IWW components and a range of hazard scenarios in a holistic manner.
5. Delivered the final release of the IWAT simulation environment for assessing inland waterway resilience, fully integrated with the PLOTO ecosystem. Key achievements include the development of the final version of the middleware, data fusion services, and an explainable AI framework for flood detection in SAR imagery. The Common Operational Picture (COP) was also finalized, supporting multi-agency coordination, while IWAT’s decision support features were expanded to include standard response procedures.
6. Advanced the integration of PLOTO software components into a unified system architecture, ensuring alignment with WP2 specifications and inputs from WP3–WP6. A Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) framework was deployed to streamline component testing and integration workflows.
7. PLOTO has produced several research outputs and increased its outreach both in terms of general audience, stakeholders reached, and liaison activities. PLOTO has participated in several events and activities, such as sector events, workshops, etc. It has populated its website with several news items and events and has made its research available in several venues. It has gained substantial online following and has joined several relevant clustering initiatives and partnerships.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

During the second reporting period, PLOTO successfully advanced the deployment of predictive modelling tools, nature-based solutions, remote sensing frameworks, and risk assessment engines to enhance the resilience of inland waterways (IWW) against climate change and natural hazards. Key results include the operational release of the IWAT simulation environment, integration of high-resolution climate forecasting, multi-hazard risk assessment models, and AI-based monitoring solutions using UAV and satellite data. Dissemination and exploitation activities have expanded outreach, including collaborations with standardisation bodies, ensuring that project innovations contribute to refining future regulations and standards.

To ensure further uptake and maximise the project's impact, several key needs have been identified. Continued research is necessary to refine dynamic forecasting models and the resilience framework, while demonstration activities should be scaled to additional IWW sites beyond the current case studies. Access to markets and financing mechanisms will be crucial to support the commercialisation of the PLOTO ecosystem, including the IWAT platform and AI-driven monitoring services. Further engagement with regulatory bodies will help align outputs with evolving standards, while internationalisation efforts—especially in collaboration with follower projects and clustering initiatives—will strengthen replication potential.