Community Research on Flood Risk Reduction: Current Status & Future Prospects

1. Community Research on Flood Risk Reduction: current status & future prospects Dr. Karen FABBRI ICT for the Environment Information Society & Media DG European Commission, Brussels Karen.fabbri@cec.eu.int

2. European Commission • Largest of the EU institutions • Propose and implement EU policies • Made up of «Directorate Generals» • Policy DG’s and Research DG’s • The EC supports EU R&D via its « Framework Programmes »: • every 5 years (now in FP6 ~ 17.5 Billion Є) • R&D in support of EU policies & EU R&D policy (ERA) • DG INFSO – promoting European research in Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) • ICT for risk and emergency management !

3. International context DG ECHO EU-MEDIN DG INFSO DG RTD DG RELEX INSPIRE UN OCHA UN ISDR DG ENV DG ENV DG REG GMES DG ENTR JRC ESA EEA FP R&D GEOSS EU Policy context EU RTD context Disaster Reduction in the EU !

4. EU Framework Programmes (FP) Research and Technological Development • We are currently in FP6 (2002-2006) • And already in the process of defining FP7 (2007-2013) More on this later !

5. Disaster Research in the EU DG Information Society & Media • ICT for the Environment (multi-risk ICT applications for disaster reduction & emergency management) DG Research - Global Change and Ecosystems (earthquakes, floods, forest fires, volcanoes, etc) DG Enterprise • Aeronautics & Space – GMES (mostly in support of an satellite Earth Observation capacity) • Preparatory Action for Security Research (PASR) DG Joint Research Centre • Institute for Environment & Sustainability (ie: hazard assessment, flood forecasting, fire index maps, ect.) • Institute for Protection & Security of the Citizen (ie: GDAS, NEDIES, MAHB, ect.) FP FP & DF

6. Disaster Management Cycle • Preparedness • Scenarios development • Emergency Planning • Training • Prevention and Mitigation • Hazard prediction and modeling • Risk assessment and mapping • Spatial Planning • Structural & non structural measures • Public Awareness & Education.. • Alert • Real time monitoring • & forecasting • Early warning • Secure &dependable telecom • Scenario identification • all media alarm • Post Disaster • Lessons learnt • Scenario update • Socio-economic and environmental impact assessment • Spatial (re)planning • Response • Dispatching of resources • Emergency telecom • Situational awareness • Command control coordination • Information dissemination • Emergency healthcare • Recovery • Early damage assessment • Re-establishing life-lines transport &communication infrastructure

7. Current Issues • No clear methodology to handle inter-related risks • Environmental and risk management are not well organised disciplines (lack of unifying concept) • No clear methodology to handle inter-related risks and environmental impacts • Many (potential) service providers do not understand operational needs • Unclear organizational responsibility for information generation (lack of quality reporting -> lack of historical data) • Incompatible information systems • The access to relevant data is not easy • The current offering is incomplete and technology push could be beneficial • ………etc….

8. The EU Policy Context1 The EU Sustainable Development Strategy • adopted in Gothenburg, 2001, w/ comprehensive review in 2005. • Addresses the most serious threats to SD in Europe and the world; the so-called “unsustainable trends”: • climate change, public health, transport, landuse, management of natural resources, the challenges of an ageing society as well as poverty and social exclusion. • Sound environmental management is hence one of the underlying pillars of sustainable development.

9. The EU Policy Context2 The Lisbon Strategy • Adopted in 2000, and re-launched by EU Council in 2005 to refocus priorities on growth and employment. • Outlines the goals to make Europe one of the world’s most dynamic and competitive economies, based on knowledge, sustainable development, employment, social cohesion, while respecting the environment. • Like the SD strategy, it’s based on 3 pillars: economy, society and environment. • The SD Strategy & Lisbon Strategy share the same goal: improve welfare & living conditions in a sustainable way for present and future generations. • Both Strategies are mutually reinforcing, but focus on different actions & have different time frames.

10. The EU Policy Context3 The EU Sixth Environment Action Programme • entitled “Environment 2010: Our future, our choice”(2001-2010) • defines priorities & objectives EU environmental policy up to 2010+ • describes measures to be taken to help implement EU SD Strategy • Consists of 5 priority avenues of strategic action: • improving the implementation of existing legislation • integrating environmental concerns into other policies • working closer with the market • empowering people as private citizens &helping them to change behaviour • taking account of the environment in land-use planning and management decisions • Action Programme focuses on 4 priority areas for action: • Climate change: to reduce greenhouse gases • Nature & biodiversity: protect/restore natural systems, halt loss biodiv. • Environment & health • Management of natural resources and waste Water Framework Directive

11. EU Data Policy Context Directives having direct impact on access to government-owned geospatial information: • Directive on public access to environmental information (2003/4/EC) • Directive of re-use of Public Sector Information (2003/98/EC), • both require that metadata be created so that environmental information & all public sector information can be made available to the public, and be made available actively and systematically, using computer telecommunications and/or electronic technology, where available, - can only be cost-effectively achieved using standardised metadata. • Water Framework Directive: requires that GIS be used for monitoring & reporting. The info required is cross-domain and often cross-border in nature, must be of high-quality, current and having standardised metadata, available on a pan-European basis, in order to fulfil the reporting requirements of the Directive. • Draft INSPIRE Directive establishing an infrastructure for spatial information sets out a specific requirement that metadata be created for a wide range of different types of geospatial data held by public authorities. It requires that such metadata be published via electronic means and free of charge, following “harmonised spatial data specifications”, including “discovery” and “view” services based on standardised metadata.

12. research: • “Triangle of knowledge” • education • innovation Reinforce Research Investments • To be a genuinely competitive knowledge economyEurope must be better in: • producing knowledge through research • diffusing it through education • applying it through innovation Research:Europe needs to invest more and better!

13. Community Framework Programmes • Main EU instrument to fund Community research • Various instruments for coordinating, developing, integrating European research and building a European Research Area • Proposed by the European Commission to the EU Parliament and EU Council for co-decision • 5 year duration since 1984, currently FP6 until end of 2006 • Implemented through: • Specific programmes and work programmes • Periodic calls for proposals, independent evaluation OngoingFP6

14. Commission’s proposal for FP7 • New proposal for an EU programme for Research • Adopted on 6 April 2005 by the Commission • Based on a broad consultation and discussion of the approach proposed by the commission in itsJune 2004 Communication on the future of European research policy • Main characteristics • Doubling of annual R & D investment • Seven year duration (2007-2013) • Main emphasis on: • Consolidated collaborative, trans-national research with socio-economic impact and S & T prospects • Industry needs and involvement, including SMEs • Scientific excellence, creativity and leadership • Career prospects and researchers mobility • Enhanced research and innovation capacity throughout Europe • Simpler and easier participation

15. FP7 structure & budget • Trans-national cooperation: 44.432 m€ • From collaborative projects and networks to the coordination of national programmes, • to gain leadership in key scientific and technology areas Ideas: 11.862 m€To reinforce scientific excellence through funding best “frontier research” by competing, individual teams Total EC: 72.726 m€+Euratom: 3.092 m€ 16% 61% People: 7.129 m€ To strengthen the career prospects,training and mobility of our researchers 10% 10% Capacities: 7.486 m€Large-scale infrastructures, regional cooperation and innovating SMEs 3% (2007-2013) Joint Research Centre : 1817 m€ (non-nuclear direct actions)

16. Total: 44.432 m€ FP7 « Cooperation » Nano, materials, production: 4.865 m€ ICT: 12.756 m€ 11% Energy: 2.951 m€ 7% 28,5% 6% Environment: 2.552 m€ Food, agri, biotech: 2.472 m€ 13% 6% Transport: 5.981 m€ 2% 18% 9% Socio-econ research: 798 m€ Health: 8.373 m€ Space and security: 3.987 m€

17. FP7 implementation • Continuity: • Integrated projects, Network of excellence, Specific targeted research projects, Coordination actions, Specific support actions • Scaling up of SME measures • Scaling up Marie Curie actions • Scaling up of ERA coordination actions: ERA-NET, Article 169 • New impetus: • European Research Council • New infrastructures of European interest • Joint technology initiatives • Easier participation, simpler programme operation Based on a revised financial regulation

18. FP7 next steps (tbc) • 09/2005: EC proposal for Specific Programmes and Rules of Participation • 2006: Final stages of co-decision -> adoption • 2007: Initial FP7 calls for proposals Commission opinion on EP amendments Direct approval if agreement with EP Consultations Council 2 4 5 CREST (approval within 6 weeks) (within 3 months) Conciliation: joint text Adoption Common position Commission Proposal Opinion Amendments (absolute majority of members) (approval within 6 weeks) (within 3 months) Advice and proposals received 5 1 3 4 European Parliament FP6 evaluations

19. FP7 “Ideas” – Frontier Research ERC – European Research Council Commission Scientific Council* • Approval of work programme, as defined by the Scientific Council • Instruction to implement work programme • Approval of annual implementation report • Information to programme committee • Preparation of work programme • Set up of peer review: pool of reviewers, nomination of review panels, evaluation guidelines • Oversight of the evaluation procedure • Annual scientific report Externalised tasks** • Information and support to applicants • Reception / eligibility of proposals • Organisation and execution of evaluation • Selection decision • Scientific and financial follow-up of contracts • Annual implementation report * Created by Commission decision * * Under the responsibility of the Commission

20. 6. Environment (inc. climate change) Climate change, pollution and risks Sustainable Management of Resources Environmental Technologies Earth observation and assessment tools

21. 6. Environment (inc. climate change) Climate change, pollution and risks • Pressures on environment and climate • Environment and health • Natural hazards Sustainable Management of Resources • Conservation and sustainable management of natural and man-made resources • Evolution of marine environments Environmental Technologies • Environmental technologies for observation, prevention, mitigation, adaptation, remediation and restoration of the natural and man-made environment • Technology assessment, verification and testing Earth observation and assessment tools • Earth observation • Forecasting methods and assessment tools

22. 6. Environment (inc. climate change) • Environmental Research to support EU International commitments such as: • Kyoto Protocol • UN Convention on Biological Diversity • World Summit on Sustainable Development • Environmental Research to contribute to: • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) • Global Earth Observation Initiative (GEO) • Environmental Research to contribute to EU policies such as: • 6th Environmental Action Plan and associated Thematic Strategies • Action Plans on Environmental Technologies and Environment and Health • Water Framework Directive

23. 6. Environment (inc. climate change) • Technology Platform on Sustainable Chemistry: • To foster the development of innovative chemistry and technologies that contribute to sustainability and the competitiveness of the European Chemical industry (e.g. CEFIC). • Focus in three main technology innovation areas: Industrial (white) biotechnology, Material technology and Reaction and process design • Technology Platform onWater Supply and Sanitation: • To strengthen the potential for technological innovation and competitiveness and promote changes in the technological capacity of the European water industry, of water professionals and research institutions and contribute to the global challenge of ensuring safe and secure water supply. • Focus on four thematic areas: water management tools, urban and rural water systems, water for industry, water for agriculture, and cross-cutting issues

24. i2010 – ICT link to Lisbon • Lisbon mid-term review • Importance of ICT and Research to achieve the knowledge society • “i2010 – European Information Society 2010”a five-year strategy to boost the digital economy • Holistic approach combining regulation, RTD, innovation and deployment • Three policy priorities: • Information space • Innovation and investment in research • Inclusion, better public services and quality of life I2010 has been adopted by the EC on 1 June 2005

25. Information Society Technologies • ICT Technology Pillars • Integration of Technologies • Application Research: • ICT meeting societal challenges • For health • For governments • For inclusion • For mobility • In support of the Environment and Sustainable Development • ICT for content etc.

26. ICT meeting Societal Challenges To ensure that all Europeans can reap the maximum benefit from ICT products and services of public interest … to strenghten the innovation role of public sector services, improving their efficiency and effectiveness.

27. The IST Approach • To promote the development of cost-effective sustainable services • Technology integration – solution driven • Specific technological developments • Market & user needs driven • Focus on generic solutions • Re-usable software components • Open source software • Interoperability, scalability • Based on state-of-the-art scientific knowledge • Criteria for R&D investment • will R&D open up new markets? • will the EU industry benefit?

28. ICT for the Environment1 • ICT is needed to implement sustainable development… • Tools for implementing and assessing environmental policies • Climate change • Nature & biodiversity • Environment, health and quality of life • Natural resources and waste • Tools for modern environmental administrations and civil protection agencies in Europe • Tools for informing the citizens on the state of the environment • … while maximising competitiveness • Better management of industrial processes • Reduction of environmental costs linked to production • Compliance with environmental regulations at lowest costs 6th Environment Action Programme (2001-2010)

29. ICT for the Environment2 • Focus:Innovative ICT-based services supporting: • Disaster risk reduction and safety of the citizens • Protection of human health and quality of life,including pollution prevention • Sustainable use and management of natural resources, prevention and reduction of waste • Integrated technologies in support of the monitoring-to-reporting chain, as well as crisis management operations

30. ICT for the Environment3 • Method:To promote the development of cost-effective sustainable services • Focus on generic solutions to pan-European environmental issues • Multi-organisational, multi-lingual • Cross-boundary • User-centric, integrated, pre-operational systems and tools • Closing the gaps between the various actors • Technology integration, solution-driven • Open-source, re-usable software components • Accessibility, interoperability, adaptability • Scalability, extensibility • Based on state-of-the-art scientific knowledgeand optimal use of spatial/non-spatial data • Contribution to standardisation, sharing of good practices

31. Disaster Reduction Research ICT FOR RISK MANAGEMENT  Information Society Technologies DG Information Society and Media

32. FP6 Ongoing Research Themes • Risk information infrastructure and generic services • Emergency management and rescue operations • Humanitarian Demining • In-situ monitoring and smart sensor networks • RTD on public safety communication, alert systems and rapidly deployable emergency telecommunications systems. • Specific support and coordination actions to achieve full interoperability • Develop, validate and demonstrate a distributed tsunami early warning and alert system, relevant to Europe & Indian Ocean. Approx. 90 million Euro

33. Call 6 – in the making! Towards an integrated tsunami early warning & alert system • enabling strong collaboration and interoperability across the whole disaster-reduction cycle. • based on the integration of advanced ICT systems and services to meet the needs of local, regional and basin wide TEWS • Alert communications making use of all media broadcasting & telecoms. • Validation environments for testing prototype integrated systems and services • SSAs CAs to support technology transfer and sharing best practices

34. ICT for Risk Management Strategic Approach1: • To cover the whole risk management cycle: • Risk assessment, preparedness, early warning, alert, response, recovery, lessons learnt etc. • To cover all environmental hazards, including systemic risks / cascading risks • To focus on system architecture rather than specific applications thereby decreasing development & maintenance costs, whilst improving reliability, scalability and interoperability

35. ICT for risk management Strategic Approach2: • To support large scale pilot test with end-users • To foster pre-standardisation activities as an integral part of RTD • To promote “open source” as a mean to improve the uptake of RTD results • To contribute to the relevant EU policies and actions: ie: INSPIRE, GMES, GEOSS

36. ICT for risk management ICT Issues1: • Situational awareness: how to obtain, sustain common operating picture in a distributed decision environment under conditions of uncertainty. • Information overload: how to filter information and still get the right information to the right people at the right time, how to minimize degradation of decision process due to information overload. • Real time decision support: how to provide robust, and applicable models, ensure data and system availability where and when needed. • Supporting response management operations: how to coordinate and track activities and resources in multiple organizations and operations centers during extremely large and complex operations.

37. ICT for risk management ICT issues2: • Communicating to community, victims, the media: how to ensure that warning systems warn, that crisis communications communicate • Communication interoperability & security: how to provide technology and systems that are open enough to connect all necessary parties while controlling access • Utilizing and controlling ad hoc communications: Cell phones, satellite phone, text messaging, internet • Identifying and tracking people (victims and workers) and things. How to facilitate the process of identifying the survivors and the dead, notifying appropriate authorities, tracking victims, tracking and verifying identity of workers and things

38. Show Case EU projects related to floods & water management

39. ORCHESTRA Open Architecture & Spatial Data Infrastructure for Risk Management FP6 project: 14 partners, coord. ATOS (ES) – ongoing until Aug. 2007 Objective: to design & implement an open service oriented software architecture to improve the interoperability among actors involved in Multi-Risk Management, by: • Designing an open service-oriented architecture • Developing software infrastructure for enabling risk management services • Developing useful services for different thematic applications (forest fires, floods, etc.); • Setting software standards for risk management applications. url: www.eu-orchestra.org

40. WIN Wide Area Network FP6 project: 15 partners, coord. Alcatel Space (FR) – ongoing until Aug. 2007 Objective: To integrate existing reference results and initiatives to contribute to the design, development, & validation of a European risk management information infrastructure. ‘info-structure’ will be a major element of the future European Spatial Data Infrastructure (ESDI) & represents an important step in operational risk management in Europe url: http://www.win-eu.org

41. OASIS Open Advanced System for Crisis Management FP6 project: 13 partners, coord. EADS (FR) –ongoing until Aug 2008 Objective: to define & develop an IT framework based on an open and flexible architecture to serve as the basis of a EU Disaster & Emergency Management system to: • facilitate cooperation between info systems used by civil protection organisations, in a local, regional, national or international environment. • support the response operations in the case of large scale as well as local emergencies. url: http://www.oasis-fp6.org

42. RAMFLOOD Decision support system for Risk Assessment and Management of FLOODs • FP5 project: 6 partners, completed • Objective: to develop and validate a new DSS for risk assessment and management of emergency scenarios due to severe floods. • DSS combines environmental and geo-physical data from earth observation, satellite positioning systems, in-situ sensors and geo-referenced info with advanced computer simulation and graphical visualisation methods for generating knowledge for risk & damage assessment, flood prevention, and design of effective response actions. url: www.cimne.upc.es/ramflood/

43. OSIRIS • Operational Solutions For The Management Of Inundation Risks In The Information Society • FP5 project: 12 partners, coord. SOGREAH – completed • Developed a suite of applications taking • into account of all the stages of flood • risk management: • preventive measures, • preparing action plans, • monitoring a river and forecasting overflows • warning, information to the citizens • measures to mitigate the effects of floods • managing the crisis situation, • monitoring its consequences and • bringing the situation back to normal. http://www.ist-osiris.org/

44. DISMAR Data Integration System for Marine Pollution and Water Quality FP5 project: 15 partners, coord. Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NO) - completed Objective: to developed a distributed system – DISPRO - for monitoring and forecasting of the marine environment, which provides a single entry point, via a web-based GIS portal, to services delivering a variety of remote sensing, in situ and model data to support decision-making in crisis situations. Systems was demonstrated in 6 coastal zone and ocean areas in Europe: (1) North Sea / Skagerrak area, (2) German coast, (3) coast of Italy, (4) coast of France, (5) Western English Channel, and (6) South-West Ireland. url: http://www.nersc.no/Projects/dismar

45. EGERIS European Generic Emergency Response Information System FP5 project: 16 partners, coord. EADS - completed Objective: to provide Civil Protection organisations & national or regional authorities the most recent information and communication technology developments to support them in their Emergency Management operations during the response & preparedness phases. Method: integration of technologies providing a full range of emergency Communication, Information and Decision Making functions. EGERIS has also a firm commitment to implement open systems approaches to achieve standardisation, interoperability and portability. http://www.egeris.org

46. International Policy Context • EC is contributing to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) initiative: • Distributed system of systems, building on current co-operation efforts among existing observing and processing systems within their mandate, while encouraging and accommodating new components: • Acquiring observational data from all different EO platforms; • Processing data into useful products; • Exchanging, disseminating and archiving shared data, metadata and products; • Undertaking activities to continue EO related Research, capacity building and outreach.

47. GEOSS • GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan starting in 2006- Secretariat hosted by WMO in Geneva- Participation: 77 member countries & 43 Int’l Organisations & EC- EU Contribution: • EC Role as GEO Co-Chair • EU supported R&D (FP6 & FP7) addressing GEOSS 9 societal benefit areas • Via GMES- EU Regional and national Earth Observation networks

48. GEOSS

49. INSPIRE Initiative • EC initiative on use of Geographical Information in Europe as a contribution to environmental policy & Sustainable Dev. • EC COM(2004) 516, 23.7.2004 proposes a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an infrastructure for spatial information in the Community (INSPIRE)

50. INSPIRE objectives Make relevant, harmonised spatial data available for Community Environmental Policy (formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation - Art. 175(1)) and for the citizen ... … through the establishment of integrated spatial information services, based upon a distributed network of databases, linked by common standards and protocols to ensure compatibility.