TY - JOUR
T1 - Operational early warning systems for water-related hazards in Europe
AU - Alfieri, Lorenzo
AU - Salamon, Peter
AU - Pappenberger, Florian
AU - Wetterhall, Fredrik
AU - Thielen, Jutta
PY - 2012/8/1
Y1 - 2012/8/1
N2 - Preparedness towards natural hazards is a key factor in the reduction of their impact on the society. Recent international initiatives are fostering the development of a culture of risk prevention and the promotion of early warning systems. Numerical weather predictions have become the basis of several flood-related warning systems, enabling the detection of hazardous events with sufficient lead-time to prepare effective emergency and response plans. The objective of this paper is to review current European operational warning systems for water-related hazards induced by severe weather conditions. In details, it includes systems for detecting surface water flooding, flash floods, debris flows, mud flows, rainfall-induced landslides, river floods and coastal floods. Technical features and capabilities of different systems are described, together with some noteworthy examples. The main strengths of each system type are highlighted and suggestions are provided for developing and further improving their overall skills in hazard detection and the mutual coordination.
AB - Preparedness towards natural hazards is a key factor in the reduction of their impact on the society. Recent international initiatives are fostering the development of a culture of risk prevention and the promotion of early warning systems. Numerical weather predictions have become the basis of several flood-related warning systems, enabling the detection of hazardous events with sufficient lead-time to prepare effective emergency and response plans. The objective of this paper is to review current European operational warning systems for water-related hazards induced by severe weather conditions. In details, it includes systems for detecting surface water flooding, flash floods, debris flows, mud flows, rainfall-induced landslides, river floods and coastal floods. Technical features and capabilities of different systems are described, together with some noteworthy examples. The main strengths of each system type are highlighted and suggestions are provided for developing and further improving their overall skills in hazard detection and the mutual coordination.
KW - Culture of risk prevention
KW - Numerical weather predictions
KW - Operational early warning systems
KW - Water-related hazards
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84860140682&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envsci.2012.01.008
DO - 10.1016/j.envsci.2012.01.008
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
AN - SCOPUS:84860140682
SN - 1462-9011
VL - 21
SP - 35
EP - 49
JO - Environmental Science and Policy
JF - Environmental Science and Policy
ER -