The Data Fabric for Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Management (DRM), developed within the EU project DIRECTED, has been co-designed with stakeholders from Real World Labs across Europe. It integrates heterogeneous datasets including historical weather data, real-time observations, forecasts and simulated future environmental conditions, together with interoperable modelling tools. A key component is SaferPlaces, an operational flood intelligence platform supporting civil protection authorities in anticipating and managing flood events through integrated environmental data and predictive modelling. The platform combines meteorological forecasts, hydrological AI-based models, terrain information, satellite observations and infrastructure exposure data within a unified operational environment. This integration enables rapid generation of flood scenarios, real-time hazard monitoring and impact assessment on critical assets. Emergency coordination centres can quickly identify potential flood locations, estimate water depths and assess impacts on infrastructure, transport networks and populated areas. Results are delivered through intuitive maps, impact summaries and operational briefings supporting resource deployment, evacuation planning and inter-agency coordination. The solution addresses key operational capability gaps by enabling real-time hazard monitoring (CG2), integration of multi-source information (CG4), remote situational awareness (CG6) and actionable intelligence through rapid flood scenario analysis (CG9). By transforming fragmented environmental data into operational flood intelligence, the Data Fabric reduces analysis time from hours to minutes and strengthens preparedness and response capabilities. The platform is currently TRL6, demonstrated with municipalities and civil protection organisations, and progressing toward TRL7 operational validation through ongoing deployments.
The ambition of the DIRECTED Data Fabric is to enable civil protection authorities to transition from fragmented environmental data sources to an integrated operational intelligence capability built on interoperable data infrastructures. Many emergency coordination centres still rely on static hazard maps, delayed satellite products or specialised modelling tools that require expert GIS operators. This fragmentation limits the ability of responders to anticipate flood evolution and rapidly assess impacts. Our objective is to operationalise the DIRECTED DataFabric approach building upon solutions like SaferPlaces Flood Intelligence, where environmental data streams, predictive models and exposure datasets are continuously integrated to generate decision-ready flood intelligence. Through this approach, emergency operators can: monitor hazard evolution, generate flood scenarios, identify critical infrastructure at risk, assess potential cascading impacts. The solution provides mapped flood extent, estimated water depth and prioritised asset exposure within minutes, enabling faster operational decisions and improved situational awareness. By transforming complex environmental data into clear operational intelligence, the platform strengthens preparedness, supports coordinated response and enables anticipatory flood management across European civil protection systems.
The innovation of the DIRECTED DataFabric lies in transforming complex heterogeneous environmental datasets into interoperable resources capable of supporting operational flood intelligence by generating actionable insights. Traditional flood management tools are often designed for long-term planning or scientific analysis and require specialised expertise. Operational responders typically struggle to combine multiple information sources during emergencies. The integrated model SaferPlaces addresses this challenge by merging: meteorological forecasts, hydrological modelling, terrain and drainage data, satellite observations, infrastructure and exposure datasets, within a single cloud-based platform. The system automatically processes these datasets to generate dynamic flood scenarios and impact assessments, allowing responders to rapidly understand where flooding may occur and which assets are most at risk. A key innovation is the shift from static hazard mapping to dynamic, scenario-based operational intelligence. Instead of relying on predefined flood maps, users can evaluate evolving rainfall conditions and simulate potential impacts on infrastructure and communities in near real time. The DIRECTED Data Fabric is designed for interoperability with existing emergency management systems and data infrastructures, enabling integration with European environmental data services and initiatives such as Copernicus and existing modelling tools like SaferPlaces. By operationalising advanced modelling and environmental data integration in a user-friendly system, non-technical operators are enabled to seamlessly access complex flood intelligence during critical response phases.
We address a critical operational challenge in flood emergency management: transforming fragmented environmental data into timely, actionable intelligence that can support decision-making before and during flood events. In many emergency coordination centres, information relevant to flooding is distributed across multiple systems, including meteorological forecasts, hydrological models, terrain datasets, satellite products and infrastructure inventories. Accessing and combining these sources during a rapidly evolving event often requires specialised expertise and significant processing time. This fragmentation limits the ability of civil protection authorities to anticipate impacts and respond efficiently. Our solution resolves this gap by operationalising a DataFabric approach, integrating heterogeneous environmental and infrastructure datasets into a unified operational platform. The system continuously processes meteorological forecasts, hydrological modelling outputs, terrain information and exposure data to generate dynamic flood scenarios and impact assessments. Within minutes, emergency responders can visualise potential flood extent, estimate water depths and identify critical infrastructure, vulnerable facilities and transport networks at risk. The platform provides clear maps, prioritised asset lists and concise operational summaries that support resource allocation, evacuation planning and inter-agency coordination. By reducing analysis time from hours to minutes, the solution significantly improves situational awareness and enables anticipatory decision-making. Authorities can evaluate potential impacts before flooding occurs, pre-position resources and prepare response actions. Ultimately, it strengthens the operational capacity of civil protection systems by enabling earlier detection of flood risks, faster interpretation of environmental data and more coordinated response actions, contributing to safer and more resilient communities across Europe
The DIRECTED Data Fabric solution is predominantly implemented by GECOsistema (with the integrated SaferPlaces model) and 52°North. GECOsistema combines expertise in hydrology, flood modelling, geospatial engineering and applied AI. The team has 20+ years of experience in disaster risk assessment and has worked closely with civil protection authorities and municipalities across Europe. 52°North’s team consists of Geo-IT experts developing open-source Spatial Information Infrastructures
The DIRECTED Data Fabric solution is predominantly implemented by GECOsistema (with the integrated SaferPlaces model) and 52°North. GECOsistema combines expertise in hydrology, flood modelling, geospatial engineering and applied AI. The team has 20+ years of experience in disaster risk assessment and has worked closely with civil protection authorities and municipalities across Europe. 52°North’s team consists of Geo-IT experts developing open-source Spatial Information Infrastructures