H2020 SILVANUS Project: Integrated Technology and Information Platform for Forest Fire Management
- Type Project
- Status Firmado
- Execution 2021 -2025
- Assigned Budget 19.902.190,26 €
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing H2020
- Project website Proyecto SILVANUS
Faced with the increasing danger and frequency of wildfires, the EU-funded SILVANUS project will offer a new solution to improve preparedness. The key outcome of the project is the creation of a climate-resilient forest management platform to prevent and limit the spread of wildfires. SILVANUS relies on experts in environmental, technical, and social sciences to support regional and national authorities responsible for wildfire management.
The project will develop intelligent fire ignition models using climate and weather data, as well as a stakeholder engagement program in forest regions to assess fire risk indicators. SILVANUS will also develop a training methodology for firefighters, with VR and AR training tools to simulate real-life environments and potentially life-saving scenarios.
Work done
- Project Management (WP1): Smooth coordination, financial management, risk assessment and amendments were ensured.
- Resilient Forest Models (WP2): Models for forest resilience were developed and integrated.
- Deterrence and prevention (WP3): Sustainable forest management was promoted through stakeholder engagement and educational campaigns.
- Detection capabilities (WP4): Advanced technologies were developed for early detection of forest fires, including UAVs, UGVs, and IoT devices.
- Response Coordination (WP5): Wildfire response strategies and coordination with authorities were improved.
- Resilience and Adaptation (WP6): Soil rehabilitation and forest restoration strategies were implemented, including the Woode application.
- Policy Recommendations (WP7): Policies for sustainable forest management and wildfire resilience were developed.
- Platform Integration (WP8): The SILVANUS core platform was designed and integrated.
- Demonstration activities (WP9): Pilot activities and demonstrations were carried out in several countries.
- Dissemination and exploitation (WP10): Dissemination of results and exploration of market applications through publications and workshops.
- Ethical Requirements (WP11): Ensuring compliance with ethical standards. Key results achieved: Development and implementation of user products: 21 user products integrated into the SILVANUS platform.
Successful pilot demonstrations: 12 pilot demonstrations in 11 countries.
Scientific contributions: Publication of 19 scientific articles on forest fire management.
Stakeholder Engagement: Involvement of diverse stakeholders through workshops, meetings, and advisory councils.
Policy Impact: Development of policy recommendations for forest resilience and sustainable management.
What is the problem/issue being addressed?
The SILVANUS project seeks to address the problem of wildfires and their impact on the environment and communities. Wildfires pose significant threats to ecosystems, biodiversity, and human life, and can have devastating consequences on a global scale. The project seeks to develop a forest management platform that combats the initiation and spread of wildfires through the implementation of innovative capabilities and technologies. It aims to address the challenges of resource utilization, wildfire prevention, and protection against global wildfire threats. By improving forest monitoring, assessing biodiversity, and generating accurate fire risk indicators, SILVANUS seeks to provide a solution that promotes environmental sustainability and climate resilience in forest management.
Why is it important for society? Environmental Preservation: By preventing and combating forest fires, SILVANUS contributes to the preservation and conservation of these valuable natural resources, ensuring their long-term sustainability for future generations. Climate Resilience: By addressing the initiation and spread of forest fires, SILVANUS helps mitigate the effects of climate change and promotes climate resilience by preserving carbon sinks and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Protection of Life and Property: By developing innovative capacities and technologies, SILVANUS seeks to improve fire prevention, early detection, and control. This will help protect communities, reduce loss of life, and minimize the destruction of infrastructure and property caused by forest fires. Efficient Resource Utilization: By optimizing resource allocation and management practices, the project seeks to minimize waste and maximize the sustainable utilization of forest resources. This contributes to the overall economic efficiency and long-term viability of forest ecosystems. Collaboration and Awareness: SILVANUS promotes collaboration between environmental, technological, and social science experts, as well as with regional and national authorities. This collaboration improves the capacity to monitor forest resources, assess biodiversity, and generate accurate fire risk indicators.
In addition, the project seeks to raise public awareness through safety campaigns, promoting a culture of safety and responsible forest management. What are the overall objectives? The goal is to implement and validate the SILVANUS sustainable forest management platform and its methodologies for monitoring and protecting natural resources in the fight against extreme wildfires. Technical and scientific innovation will develop new methodologies for monitoring and analyzing the ecological growth of natural resources, thus complementing the analysis of biodiversity models. The environmental monitoring framework developed in SILVANUS will be complemented by cutting-edge technologies for early detection and coordination of wildfire response. Finally, the SILVANUS platform will provide support for the rehabilitation, restoration, and adaptation of natural forest growth.
SILVANUS plans to offer an environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient forest management platform through innovative capabilities to prevent and combat wildfire ignition and spread. The platform will address the demands of resource efficiency and protect against wildfire threats found worldwide.
The project will establish synergies between (i) environmental experts, (ii) technology experts, and (iii) social scientists to improve the capacity of regional and national authorities to monitor forest resources, assess biodiversity, generate more accurate fire risk indicators, and promote safety standards among citizens through awareness campaigns. SILVANUS's unique approach lies in the development and integration of advanced semantic technologies to systematically formalize knowledge of forest management and resource utilization.
Furthermore, the platform will integrate a big data processing framework capable of analyzing heterogeneous data sources, including Earth observation resources, climate models, and meteorological data, and continuous onboard computing of multispectral video streams. Furthermore, the project integrates a range of sensor and actuator technologies using an innovative wireless communication infrastructure through the coordination of aerial vehicles and ground robots. The technological platform will be complemented by the integration of resilience models and the results of environmental and ecological studies conducted for the assessment of fire risk indicators based on continuous surveys of forest regions.
The surveys are designed to tap into the knowledge and experience of frontline firefighting organizations, which collectively support 47,504 x 104 square meters of forested land in Europe and international communities. The project's innovation will be validated through 11 pilot demonstrations across Europe and internationally using a two-sprint cycle.
- Advanced Detection Technologies: Innovative IoT devices, UAVs, UGVs, and AI-driven models were developed and integrated for early detection and monitoring of wildfires, improving real-time data collection and accuracy.
- Robust data aggregation: Sophisticated data aggregation schemes were implemented to optimize transmission and reduce redundancy, supporting efficient processing and reliable detection systems.
- Innovations in AI and machine learning: Advanced machine learning was used to model and predict fire spread, improving detection accuracy and providing real-time updates on fire behavior.
- Integrated platform: The SILVANUS platform was developed, integrating several user products and technologies for comprehensive forest fire management. Expected results by the end of the project
- Full implementation of user products: 21 fully operational user products within the integrated SILVANUS platform, evaluated during the 2024 pilot activities.
- Improved Detection and Response: Further refinement of detection technologies and AI models to improve the accuracy and efficiency of wildfire management.
- Market exploitation: Establish a solid exploitation strategy to promote the industrial adoption of SILVANUS technologies and develop business models.
- Comprehensive Impact Assessment: Publish an impact assessment framework that evaluates the effectiveness of the SILVANUS platform in meeting the objectives of the Green Deal.
- Potential impacts
- Socioeconomic impact: Advanced technologies will reduce the economic damage from wildfires, minimizing property loss and fire suppression costs, and preserving natural resources.
- Environmental impact: Improved early detection and response will mitigate environmental damage, protect biodiversity, reduce carbon emissions, and preserve ecosystems.
- Enhanced Public Safety: Improved detection and response systems will improve community safety in wildfire-prone areas, enabling faster evacuations and more effective fire suppression.
- Knowledge sharing and capacity building: Promoting a culture of prevention and resilience through stakeholder engagement, training programs, and public awareness campaigns.
- Policy Influence: Provide sound policy recommendations to improve forest management practices and regulatory frameworks, promoting sustainable and resilient forest management.
- UNIVERSITA TELEMATICA PEGASO S.R.L. (UNIPEGASO)
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