FLOPRES, the Slovak-Polish initiative for flood prevention and monitoring, announces a significant advancement in its mission to build a comprehensive flash flood warning system. The project has successfully completed the installation of 176 intelligent (IoT) sensors across three pilot river basins in the Prešov Self-Governing Region (PSK), marking a crucial step in developing an advanced flood prediction and prevention infrastructure.
The installation campaign, completed in late 2024, covered the river basins of Ladomírka (Svidník district), Šibská voda (Bardejov district), and Malá Svinka (Sabinov district). This extensive network of sensors forms part of FLOPRES’s broader initiative to establish an integrated flood risk management and early warning system across selected watersheds in both Slovakia and Poland.
“This milestone represents a significant step forward in our mission to protect communities from flash floods,” says Dušan Kočický, Project Lead. “The deployment of these smart sensors enables us to monitor water levels, soil conditions, and atmospheric factors in real-time, providing crucial data for flood prediction and prevention.”
The installation phase in Slovakia, executed over four months from September to December 2024, saw the deployment of:
- 38 water level sensors across 22 municipalities
- 138 additional measuring devices in 20 municipalities, including rain gauges, air temperature sensors, and soil moisture meters
Parallel installation efforts are ongoing in Poland’s Roztoczanka river basin, with FLOPRES targeting a total deployment of 260 IoT sensors across six river basins – three in each country.
The system’s innovative approach combines data from these IoT sensors with meteorological forecasts and hydrological modeling methods. This integration enables:
- Real-time monitoring of climate conditions
- Hydrological and soil moisture characteristics
- Early warning capabilities for flash flood risks
- Enhanced flood risk management through predictive modeling
The FLOPRES project operates under the EU’s LIFE grant program, with a total budget of €3.2 million. The initiative brings together key partners including the Prešov Self-Governing Region, Esprit, and GOSPACE LABS on the Slovak side, working in close collaboration with Polish counterparts.
This comprehensive monitoring network represents a significant advancement in flood prevention technology and demonstrates FLOPRES’s commitment to protecting communities through innovative environmental solutions. The system’s capability to provide early warnings will enable communities to implement preventive measures before flooding occurs, potentially saving lives and reducing property damage.