The first pan-European climate service dedicated to protecting coastal areas most exposed to flood risk is operational. Developed as part of the European CoCliCo project, the system provides high-resolution maps and real-time data to support public authorities and critical infrastructure managers in planning climate change adaptation strategies. Thanks to the collaboration of ENEA, ultra-high-resolution climate projections are already available for the Mediterranean and Black Sea, with advanced simulations of water and heat exchange between oceans and inland seas. The service has been tested in several European contexts, but further investment and integration with the European Copernicus and Digital Twin of the Ocean programs will be needed to become fully operational. “Coastal zones,” warns ENEA researcher Gianmaria Sannino, "are reaching a tipping point. Transformative adaptation strategies are needed, capable of rethinking social, economic and environmental systems. In some cases, building barriers may not be enough: we may have to relocate entire communities". Without new measures, more than one million people in Europe could be exposed to extreme flooding events by 2050. The new climate service aims to offer concrete solutions, including customizable ones, to strengthen the resilience of coastal territories.
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