Overview

In adapting its Climate Change indicators according to the IPCC V Assessment Report (2014), the EEA has introduced two indicators relevant for the I-STORMS project: a) flood & health as “extreme coastal high-water events have increased the risk of river & coastal flooding in many European regions”; b) storms as they “may lead to structural damage, flooding & storm surges”. Indeed, extreme sea storms events are recognized, by the scientific community, as one of the major factors, together with the anthropic pressures, affecting the coastal changes. Coastal flooding & erosion, impacts on ecosystems, damages to infrastructures & productive activities can be worsen if combined with the absence of adequate early warning systems, coordinated strategies, coastal management & planning with significant related economic costs. The territorial challenges linked to lack of shared information & know-how on sea storms, poor macro-regional cooperation, low data interoperability, lack of coordination & exchange on civil protection procedures will be jointly faced by the I-STORMS partners. The aim is to enhance transnational cooperation sharing knowledge, data & forecasts through a common infrastructure, joint strategies to deal with sea storm emergencies, improving at the same time countries' capacities on data interoperability, early warning & civil protection procedures, in alignment with the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The innovative approach on data sharing, the common guidelines on early warning & civil protection, the transnational strategy, and the permanent cooperation table set up by the project will ensure that current challenges are faced & overcome in the framework of EUSAIR and with a medium-term implementation perspective. Project benefits will firstly tackle citizens of the Adriatic-Ionian coastal areas and competent public administrations, but also decision makers, sectoral agencies, marine productive activities, research & scientific community.