The project ARISTOTLE-ENHSP aims to offer the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) a service system for hazard-related natural phenomena. The project also wants to create a pool of experts in the fields of hydrometeorology and geophysics that can support ERCC with regard to situation assessment in crisis situations.
The project is funded by the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) and it continues the previous ARISTOTLE project (2016-2018). The European network created within ARISTOTLE-ENHSP gathers both scientific and operative experts, working with a multi-risk view to enhance prevention and forecasting tools and to improve the response to disasters. Within this context, the project aims to ensure scientific exchange, cooperation between partners, and to establish a dialogue with nationally mandated civil protection authorities.
Led by the Italian National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology, CIMA Research Foundation is the only other Italian partner. Within ARISTOTLE-ENHSP, CIMA Research Foundation deals with the monitoring, forecasting and assessment of flood and fire risk, an area in which the Foundation has acquired important experience as the Centre of Competence of the Italian Civil Protection Department. In particular, CIMA Research Foundation is responsible, in alternating shifts with the other partners, for global flood risk monitoring and forecasting, and for potential fire risk at the pan-European level. During its shift, it has to provide ERCC with a periodic bulletin and, in case of an emergency, a report of the situation for supporting decisions about the strategies to adopt.
During their shift, CIMA Research Foundation researchers are operative 24/7 at the “Franco Siccardi” Operations Center, monitoring the potential flood and fire risk situations in real-time.