Project description
Innovative early warning system solutions for Europe and Africa
Natural hazards, including extreme weather events, are becoming more frequent, intensive and protracted due to climate change. Such events stretch limited resources and imperil lives, especially in rapidly warming regions. The EU-funded MEDEWSA project will improve impact forecasting and early warning systems across the European-Mediterranean-African region using novel tools such as AI. Coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), it will establish four twins (eight pilot sites), each with a history of being impacted by natural hazards or extreme events. MEDEWSA's central role in the UN Early Warnings for All initiative – to ensure that everyone is protected from hazardous weather, water or climate events through early warning systems by the end of 2027 – will accelerate its reach and impact.
Objective
"Natural hazards, such as extreme weather events, are exacerbated by climate change. As a result, emergency responses are becoming more protracted, expensive, frequent, and stretching limited available resources. This is especially apparent in rapidly warming regions. MedEWSa addresses these challenges by providing novel solutions to ensure timely, precise, and actionable impact and finance forecasting, and early warning systems (EWS) that support the rapid deployment of first responders to vulnerable areas. Specifically, MedEWSa will deliver a sophisticated, comprehensive, and innovative pan-European–Mediterranean–African solution comprising a range of complementary services. Building on existing tools MedEWSa will develop a fully integrated impact-based multi-hazard EWS. This call contained five expected outcomes, all of which will be specifically addressed by MedEWSa. Led by WMO, MedEWSa will be an exemplar of the UN Secretary General’s March 2022 call to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected from extreme weather and climate-related hazards by EWS within the next five years.
Through eight carefully selected pilot sites (areas in Europe, the southern Mediterranean, and Africa with a history of being impacted by natural hazards and extreme events with cascading effects), four twins will be created:
● Twin #1: Greece (Attica) – Ethiopia (National Parks): wildfires and extreme weather events (droughts, wind)
● Twin #2: Italy (Venice) – Egypt (Alexandria / Nile Delta): coastal floods and storm surges
● Twin #3: Slovakia (Kosice) – Georgia (Tbilisi): floods and landslides
● Twin #4: Spain (Catalonia) – Sweden (countrywide): heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.
The twins will bridge areas with different climatic/physiographic conditions, yet subject to similar hazards, and are well positioned to deliver long-term bi-directional knowledge transfer. They will demonstrate the transferability and versatility of the tools developed in MedEWSa.
"
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
35390 Giessen
Germany
See on map
Participants (26)
11810 Athina
See on map
73100 Lecce
See on map
601 76 NORRKOEPING
See on map
833 15 Bratislava
See on map
RG2 9AX Reading
See on map
15500 Holargos, Athens
See on map
17100 Savona
See on map
75007 Paris
See on map
2593 HT Den Haag
See on map
1202 GENEVA 2
See on map
08034 Barcelona
See on map
80686 Munchen
See on map
1190 Wien
See on map
08028 Barcelona
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
3101 Limassol
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
014 01 BYTCA
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
115 25 ATHENS
See on map
10163 Athens
See on map
0112 Tbilisi
See on map
117 43 ATHINA
See on map
30124 Venezia
See on map
4392071 CAIRO
See on map
40121 Bologna
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
08009 Barcelona
See on map
08552 Taradell
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1000 ADDIS ABABA
See on map
Partners (2)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
60311 Frankfurt Am Main
See on map
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
5025001 Bet Dagan
See on map