The LIFE BAETULO tool: an integrated early warning system for cities to cope with major climate hazards

LIFE BAETULO (www.life-baetulo.eu) is a European pilot project funded by the EU LIFE Climate Action programme, coordinated by AQUATEC (AGBAR Group) and with a duration of 2.5 years (from July 2020 to December 2022). The main project solution (an integrated early warning system, IEWS) is implemented as a technical and adaptive means to reduce exposure and vulnerability of urban assets and citizens to climate change. IEWS considers major climate change-induced hazards such as floods, combined sewer overflows, storm surges, heatwaves, cold waves, snowfalls, windstorms, air pollution and forest fires. The IEWS platform is built on top of existing infrastructure such as meteorological and weather services, drainage infrastructure monitoring systems and official information channels. It is a multi-risk approach, in contrast with classic sectorial solutions which focus on just one hazard at a time. This paper describes the objectives of the project, the architecture of the IEWS, the methodology used for its validation and the expected results and benefits for the city of Badalona.