URBANFLOODS: Strengthening Flood Resilience Across the Adriatic-Ionian Region

The URBANFLOODS project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg IPA

Project’s description:

The Adriatic-Ionian region, with its unique geographical and climatic conditions, has been increasingly prone to severe flood events due to a combination of climate and land-use changes. These events have led to significant geomorphic adjustments of river channels and, historically, have caused substantial damage to life, properties, agriculture, and tourist infrastructure. 

URBANFLOODS is a forward-thinking initiative aimed at boosting urban resilience against the growing threat of floods particularly targeting rivers and streams in the urban environment of the Adriatic-Ionian region. By developing an integrated Decision Support System according to the EU Flood Directive  and an innovative communication and learning platform, the project seeks to transform flood management and preparedness. URBANFLOODS will raise public awareness, recommend new flood prevention policies, and provide strategic action plans for the short, medium, and long term. Designed to benefit local authorities, communities, policy makers, and the public, this initiative will build stronger, more flood-resilient cities for the future.

Tirana River

Specific objectives of the project:

    • Joint development of an integrated decision support system (DSS): this involves the creation of an advanced data-based system offering holistic solutions for flood management and early warning systems.
    • Strengthening natural and civil protection mechanisms: this focuses on improving existing natural and civil protection strategies and introducing new measures to further protect the Adriatic-Ionian region from flood risks.
    • Establish protocols for effective practices, transnational strategies and action plans: this objective involves the identification, documentation and adoption of successful flood management strategies and action plans, which can serve as a reference for other regions facing similar problems.
    • Educating local communities: this objective seeks to improve understanding of flood risks among local communities by encouraging a culture of ‘preparedness’ and promoting proactive measures to mitigate potential impacts.

Main expected results:

      • 1 Unified DSS (Decision Support System) that will enhance local authorities’ capacity to reduce urban flood risks and increase urban resilience by offering sophisticated, data-driven solutions for flood management. The Unified DSS will be validated and demonstrated in 9 different pilot sites.
      • 1 Joint URBANFLOODS Transnational Strategy that will establish a targeted way to achieve efficient and effective flood management. It will provide a common vision, goals and objectives, policies, actions and measures, based on a SMART data driven approach.
      • 3 Action Plans will translate the jointly developed transnational strategy into actions, in order to increase knowledge and assist in decision making of 3 categories of key institutions: (1) Local / regional authorities, (2) Civil Protection Authorities, (3) National Authorities.
      • 1 Memorandum of Understanding: a formal agreement among the parties to continue cooperation after the end of the project. It will promote knowledge exchange and best practices transfer among PPs and relevant stakeholders, enhancing the visibility of project’s outputs to support future synergies and raise awareness and preparedness also of the general public, maximizing thus the project’s potential impact.

PARTNERS

    1. University of Western Macedonia, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering – Greece (EL) – Lead Partner
    2. Hydro-engineering Institute Sarajevo – Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA)
    3. Development centre Murska Sobota – Slovenia (SI)
    4. Macerata Municipality– Italy (IT)
    5. Regional development agency Backa – Serbia (RS)
    6. Municipal Enterprise for Water Supply and Sewerage of Kozani – Greece (EL)
    7. Hydrowater-Albania sh.p.k – Albania (AL)
    8. Rijeka Development Agency Porin Ltd. – Croatia (HR)
    9. Faculty of  Computer Science and Engineering, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje – North Macedonia (MK)
    10.  EuroMediterranean Center for the Sustainable Development – SVI.MED NPO – Italy (IT)
    11. Center for Knowledge Management CKM – North Macedonia (MK)

Associated partners

    1. Municipality of Scicli  –  IT
    2. Municipality of Modica  –  IT
    3. Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) – SI
    4. Agency for watershed of the Adriatic Sea – BA
    5. Water Supply and Sewerage Association of Albania – AL
    6. MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, GENERAL DIRECTORATE FOR WATER – EL
    7. Public Water Management Company “Vode Vojvodine” – RS
    8. Municipality of Kozani – EL
    9. Centre for Crisis Mangement – MK
    10. Institute of Sustainable Development and Management of Natural Resources-UCRI TEMENUS UOWM – EL
    11. Public Institution for protected area management in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County – HR

Pilot sites

    • Siopoto – Greece
    • Matica river – Bosnia & Herzegovina
    • Ledava river – Slovenia
    • Fosso Terria – Italy
    • Modica-Scicli torrent – Italy
    • Karaš river – Serbia
    • Tirana river – Albania
    • Rjecina river – Croatia
    • Kriva Reka river – North Macedonia

Contacts:

Gert Pustina, project coordinator

info@hydrowateralbania.com

Project info box:

    • Name of the project: URBANFLOODS: Strengthening Flood Resilience Across the Adriatic-Ionian Region
    • Source of funding: Interreg IPA-Adrion 
    • Implementation period: from 01/09/2024 to 31/08/2027
    • Total budget€ – 1.747.583,17 € (80% EU contribution – 85% IPA contribution)

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