WAVEGUARD
Enhanced monitoring and disaster response to mitigate the impacts of extreme marine-weather events
The WAVEGUARD project aims to mitigate risks associated with extreme marine-weather events—which are becoming increasingly frequent and intense due to climate change—with a specific focus on Medicanes and meteo-tsunamis in the Strait of Sicily. The project involves installing and upgrading observation networks in Italy and Malta, developing prototype warning systems and hydrodynamic models, and conducting emergency management exercises.
It engages local authorities and stakeholders and seeks to raise public awareness by combining environmental observations, numerical models, and artificial intelligence technologies. The partnership is multidisciplinary and cross-border.
The project is funded by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Italy-Malta 2021-2027 Programme.
ISPRA is a project partner alongside the University of Catania, the University of Palermo, the University of Malta, INGV, CNR, the Maltese and Italian Civil Protection departments, and the Port Authority Corps – Coast Guard.