It is a unique international forum aimed at developing a global flood observation and modelling infrastructure for managing and forecasting flood risk at a global scale. It will provide operational and globally applicable flood monitoring and, at a later stage, forecasting tools and services, as well as short- and long-term flood risk assessment tools, which will be complementary to national capabilities. This will be achieved by bringing together the scientific community, satellite and weather service providers, national flood and emergency management authorities, humanitarian organisations and donors.
The JRC has a unique expertise in this area, as it contributed to the set up and managed the development of the first operational hydrological network in Europe, the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS). EFAS is an early warning system at a pan-European scale to provide flood information 3-10 days in advance, allowing Member States and the Commission to be better prepared for potential flood crises at international scale. Since 2012, it operates under the umbrella of the Copernicus emergency management service and run by Member States organisations.