SAFE – Sensor-Actuator-Based Early Warning System for Extreme Weather
Background and Goals
Climate research suggests an increase of extreme weather events in the decades to come. The damages caused by these extreme weather hazards might increase significantly in the future. Insurance companies are already experiencing increasing insurance claims – in particular in industrialized countries with their vulnerable infrastructures. These human and economic costs caused by climate change will be a major challenge for the societies and economies worldwide. One answer to these challenges can be early-warning and disaster prevention that assist in reduction of possible damages. SAFE is a research project aiming to establish local early-warning systems of high quality, supported by technological disaster prevention measures that can make a significant contribution to protection from extreme weather hazard effects caused by the climate change in Germany and Europe.
Experiences from existing extreme weather hazard warning systems indicate a lack of local preciseness of weather hazard prognosis as well as targeted information dissemination necessary for preparedness and hence effective damage prevention or mitigation. These are the two main challenges for which solutions are sought in this research project. The approach of SAFE is to enhance the local quality of weather hazard prognoses and to improve the dissemination of target information for affected persons and systems. SAFE will search, implement, and test new technologies for improved local prediction and better warning dissemination and hence provide a better protection from damages of industrial plants, urban areas, and private homes.
As a pilot system SAFE will be installed at two locations. The system suitability for large industrial sites will be tested exemplarily at the production location of Wacker Chemie AG in Burghausen. At the second location, the market-town Mering, system suitability for town councils, trade firms and residents will be evaluated.
Content time
toResearch area/region
Country
- Germany
Region of implementation (all German federal states)
- Bavaria
Natural spatial classification
- Alp and North Bavarian hills
Spatial resolution
Marktgemeinde Mering, Stadt Burghausen
Steps in the process of adaptation to climate change
Step 1: Understand and describe climate change
Approach and results
A new severe weather forecasting model will be developed, specialized on the prediction of severe weather as accurately as possible for a certain location at a certain point of time.
Parameter (climate signals)
- Extreme precipitation (incl. hail, snow)
Further Parameters
extrem weather
Step 2a: Identify and assess risks - climate effects and impact
Approach and results
In this project new techniques will be developed for protection against potential climate change impacts focusing on early-warning systems for severe weather.
Step 3: Develop and compare measures
Measures and/or strategies
The aim of the SAFE project is to create a denser network of weather sensors to improve the forecasting methods and to develop automated methods for disaster prevention measures.
The recent possibilities of local forecasting of extreme weather and its local effects will be improved on the one hand by integrating existing heterogeneous monitoring networks (e. g. private and public weather station networks, data from environmental agencies) and on the other hand by the use of new measurement methods. Beside the specific warning of the people concerned automatic systems (e. g. in the field of industrial and building systems) will be included in the hazard defense as well.
Participants
Funding / Financing
Funding programme “klimazwei – research for climate protection and protection from climate impacts”, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
Project management
Fraunhofer-Institut für Software- und Systemtechnik (ISST)
Cooperation/Partners
- Institut für Automation und Kommunikation e.V. Magdeburg (ifak);
- Meteomedia GmbH;
- Thies Clima GmbH;
- Kisters AG;
- Regnauer GmbH;
- Versicherungskammer Bayern;
- Wacker Chemie AG;
- Marktgemeinde Mering
Contact
Fraunhofer-Institut für Software und Systemtechnik ISST
Steinplatz 2
10623 Berlin
