URBANFLOODS – Enhancing Urban Resilience through an Integrated Advanced Decision Support System for Flood Control

Project Title:
URBANFLOODS – Enhancing Urban Resilience through an Integrated Advanced Decision Support System for Flood Control

Project Description:
The Adriatic-Ionian region, with its unique geographical and climatic conditions, is increasingly susceptible to severe flooding due to a combination of climate change and land use changes. These events have led to significant geomorphic adjustments of river channels and, historically, have caused extensive damage to lives, property, agriculture, and tourism infrastructure. URBANFLOODS is a progressive initiative aimed at strengthening cities’ resilience to the growing flood hazard, especially from rivers and streams in urban areas of the Adriatic-Ionian region.

By developing an integrated decision support system in line with the EU Floods Directive, as well as an innovative communication and learning platform, the project seeks to transform flood management and preparedness. URBANFLOODS aims to raise public awareness, recommend new flood prevention policies, and provide strategic action plans for the short, medium, and long term. The project’s outcomes are designed to benefit local authorities, communities, policymakers, and the broader public. This initiative will help build stronger, flood-resilient cities for the future.

Specific Objectives of the Project:
● Joint development of an integrated decision support system, creating an advanced data-based system that provides holistic flood management solutions and early warning systems.
● Strengthening natural and civil protection mechanisms, focusing on improving existing civil and environmental protection strategies and introducing new measures to better protect the Adriatic-Ionian region from flood risks.
● Establishing protocols for effective practices, transnational strategies, and action plans, including identification, documentation, and adoption of successful flood management strategies and action plans that can serve as references for other regions facing similar challenges.
● Educating local communities to improve understanding of flood risks by fostering a culture of “preparedness” and promoting proactive measures to mitigate potential impacts.

Main Expected Results:
● 1 Unique Decision Support System to improve the capacity of local authorities to reduce urban flood risks, enhancing urban resilience through advanced, data-driven flood management solutions. The system will be validated and demonstrated in 9 pilot locations.
● 1 Joint Transnational URBANFLOODS Strategy that sets a targeted approach for efficient and effective flood management. This strategy will provide a shared vision, goals, policies, actions, and measures, all based on a SMART data-driven approach.
● 3 Action Plans that will translate the jointly developed transnational strategy into actionable steps for three key stakeholder categories: (1) local/regional authorities, (2) civil protection bodies, and (3) national authorities.
● 1 Memorandum of Understanding – a formal agreement among involved parties to continue cooperation after the project ends. This MoU will promote knowledge exchange and best practice sharing between project partners and relevant stakeholders, increasing project visibility and impact, raising awareness, and encouraging preparedness among the wider public.

Partners:

University of Western Macedonia, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Greece – Lead Partner

Institute for Hydrotechnics Ltd., Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Development Center Murska Sobota, Slovenia

Municipality of Maserata, Italy

Regional Development Agency Bačka Ltd., Serbia

Municipal Water and Sewerage Utility Kozani, Greece

Hydrowater-Albania Ltd., Albania

Riječka Development Agency Porin Ltd., Croatia

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, North Macedonia

SVI.MED – Euro-Mediterranean Center for Sustainable Development, Italy

Center for Knowledge Management, North Macedonia

Associated Partners:

Municipality of Scicli, Italy

Municipality of Modica, Italy

Slovenian Environment Agency, Slovenia

Adriatic Sea Watershed Agency, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Water Supply and Sewerage Association, Albania

Ministry of Environment and Energy, General Directorate for Water, Greece

Public Water Management Company Vode Vojvodine, Serbia

Municipality of Kozani, Greece

Crisis Management Center, North Macedonia

Institute for Sustainable Development and Natural Resources Management, Greece

Public Institution for Management of Protected Natural Areas of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia

Pilot Locations:

Sopoto – Greece

Matica River – Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ledava River – Slovenia

Foso Narduči – Italy

Modica-Scicli Stream – Italy

Karaš River – Serbia

Tirana River – Albania

Rječina River – Croatia

Kriva River – North Macedonia

Contact Person:
Jelena Petrov, Project Manager
jelena.petrov@rda-backa.rs
+381 (0) 60 330 25 05

Project Information:
Project Name: URBANFLOODS – Enhancing Urban Resilience through an Integrated Advanced Decision Support System for Flood Control
Donor: Interreg IPA Adrion Programme
Implementation Period: 01/09/2024 – 31/08/2027
Total Budget: €1,747,583.17 (80% EU co-financing – 85% IPA contribution)
Website: URBANFLOODS

Interreg Acknowledgment Statement:
The URBANFLOODS project is co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg IPA ADRION Programme.