Cutting-edge technologies against floods, fires and extreme weather events

Big Data to process information in real-time during disasters, Artificial Intelligence applied to language filtering and a mobile app to alert citizens are some of the technologies presented. On 9- 10 May 2019, experts in floods, fires and extreme weather management from around Europe will meet in Venice to introduce and employ the tools developed by the H2020 project “I-REACT”. The solutions developed in 3-year of intensive work and their core technology will be released as a free, open-source software for a larger adoption and use.

A new cross-platform mobile application to improve the monitoring and the real-time reporting. Wearables that locate and monitor the status of first responders. Updated and actionable satellite information to better assess how a fire, a flood or heavy rains may evolve. Accurate forecasts to predict the onset of weather extremes.

These are some of technologies that emergency responders will now be able to use, thanks to the Big Data platform developed by I-REACT.

The results of this project, funded by the European Union, will be shared in a workshop that will take place on 9-10 May, at the premises of UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe in Venice.

Among the attendees of the workshop will be representatives of Specialised Programme of the United Nations, European Commission and Civil Protection agencies and emergency management experts from around Europe.

The I-REACT solutions will be tested first-hand, through an in-field simulation - including flood and wildfire scenarios – thanks to the cooperation with the staff of the Civil Protection Department of Venice and its professional volunteers. They will be managed through the main technology of the project: a centralized, modular and interoperable Big Data platform. It combines data from multiple information sources such as weather prediction at different scales, models for climate projections and early warning forecasts for flood, fires and extreme weather events. The platform also incorporates a social media engine that uses natural language processing and machine learning to filter information from Twitter, providing real-time insights of the situation. 

“Big Data and Artificial Intelligence are the main strengths of the project, as they allow us to transform raw data into useful information”, explains Fabrizio Dominici, head of the Mobile Solution research area at the LINKS Foundation of Turin and coordinator of the I-REACT project. “This is extremely helpful nowadays, since Social Media has turned each citizen into a source of information. In addition, the project also features a mobile app that enables citizens to share geolocalised photos and information on disasters. ” 

“UNESCO contributes to Disaster Risk Reduction and technological solutions for improving prediction and management of disasters.”, explains Ana Luiza Massot Thompson-Flores, Director of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe. “The I-REACT project is an important component of our Regional Bureau’s efforts in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 that stresses the importance of using appropriate communications, geospatial and space-based technologies to support our member states in coping with climate change risks.”

This event represents an excellent opportunity to show the results of more than 3 years of hard work and close collaboration among 20 European partners. All the technologies are now available for Civil Protection Agencies, emergency managers and insurance companies. Our tools are modular, easily integrated with the existing services, and enable a multi-agency, cross-border disaster management.

The 2-day workshop will be a turning point, marking the end of the implementation of the research and innovation activities of the EU-funded I-REACT project and inaugurating the breakthrough of its resulting cutting-edge technologies.