The importance of early warning systems

Early-warning systems are a key step to establish effective strategies to manage the risks associated with extreme climate events. In The HuT one of the aims is to learn how types of warnings can be made more effective and transfer those strategies to different kinds of climate extremes. In particular, in The HuT floods are being studied in Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Iceland, Hungary, UK, and Switzerland.

Nonetheless, this is not an issue felt only in Europe. A lot of places in Africa are being affected by floods as a result of climate change. Thanks to satellite information and ground sensors new early-warning systems in Africa are being improved.

The EU funded projects, TWIGA and TEMBO, contributed to set up a flood-alert system and seed security in Kenya using innovative technology. The projects involve measuring rainfall and river flow upstream to better manage reservoirs, as well as trialling seed insurance for farmers in Ghana. The use of cosmic rays to detect rainfall and provide fast payouts in the event of drought is also highlighted.

Read more about these projects and their work on the Horizon Magazine.