FANFAR · Project

Operational Flood Forecasting and Alert System Built for West Africa's Tough Conditions

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Imagine getting a reliable weather warning on your phone before a river floods — except you live in a region where electricity and internet cut out regularly. That's the challenge FANFAR tackled. They took existing pieces — a water-level prediction model, a cloud computing platform, and a messaging channel — and wired them together into one system that actually works in West Africa's conditions. After more than 6 years of working alongside local institutions, they built a pilot that lets regional authorities send flood alerts to communities before the water arrives.

By the numbers

countries in the consortium

partners collaborating on the system

years of cooperation before the project

total project deliverables

industry partners including SMEs

The business problem

What needed solving

Flooding in West Africa is growing worse due to climate change, threatening agriculture, infrastructure, and lives. Existing forecasting tools were not integrated or adapted to local conditions — unreliable electricity and internet made standard ICT systems unusable. Regional institutions lacked the human and financial capacity to run sophisticated flood prediction on their own.

The solution

What was built

FANFAR built an integrated streamflow forecasting and flood alert pilot system for West Africa, combining a hydrological model, cloud computing platform, input data streams, and communication channels. They delivered 13 deliverables including a demonstrator of distribution channels that was deployed and confirmed pre-operational.

Audience

Who needs this

Agricultural insurers covering flood-prone regions in AfricaHumanitarian NGOs deploying climate early-warning systemsNational meteorological agencies in developing countriesAgribusinesses with supply chains crossing West African flood corridorsInfrastructure developers building in climate-vulnerable African regions

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Insurance & Reinsurance

enterprise

Target: Agricultural or property insurers operating in West and Sub-Saharan Africa

If you are an insurer covering agricultural losses or property damage in flood-prone West African regions — this project developed an operational streamflow forecasting pilot system that can feed real-time flood risk data into your underwriting models. Better flood prediction means more accurate pricing and fewer surprise payouts. The system was specifically adapted for areas with unreliable electricity and internet, so it works where you need it most.

Humanitarian & Development Technology

any

Target: NGOs and development agencies deploying early-warning systems in climate-vulnerable regions

If you are a development organization trying to protect communities from flooding in Africa — this project built and piloted a cloud-based flood alert system co-designed with 6 partners across 6 countries. The ICT components handle unreliable connectivity, a key barrier you likely face when rolling out tech in remote areas. The system was tested in practical flood management by regional and local institutions.

Agricultural Supply Chain & Logistics

mid-size

Target: Agribusinesses and commodity traders with operations in West Africa

If you are an agribusiness managing crops, warehouses, or transport routes across flood-prone West African corridors — this project delivered a pre-operational streamflow forecasting system that gives advance warning of flooding. Early alerts let you reroute shipments, protect stored goods, and plan planting cycles around actual flood risk rather than guesswork. The system was built to function even with spotty internet.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or deploy this flood forecasting system?

The project data does not include pricing or licensing terms. The system was developed as a publicly-funded pilot coordinated by Sweden's national meteorological institute. Interested parties should contact the coordinator to discuss deployment terms and potential cost-sharing arrangements.

Can this system scale beyond West Africa to other flood-prone regions?

The system was specifically adapted for West African conditions, including unreliable electricity and internet. However, its core components — hydrological model, cloud computing platform, and communication channels — are modular. Based on available project data, scaling would require co-adaptation workshops with local institutions in the new region.

Who owns the intellectual property and how is it licensed?

The project was an EU Innovation Action coordinated by SVERIGES METEOROLOGISKA OCH HYDROLOGISKA INSTITUT, a public institution. IP arrangements are not detailed in the available data. Given the public-sector lead and development-focused mission, licensing terms should be discussed directly with the coordinator.

How reliable is the system given West Africa's infrastructure challenges?

The project explicitly designed the system around unreliable electricity and internet — the two biggest infrastructure barriers in the region. The demonstrator of distribution channels was deployed and confirmed as pre-operational. The system uses cloud computing to reduce dependency on local hardware.

Is this system already in use by any government or agency?

The objective states that some ICT components were already used by key West African institutions before the project ended in 2021. The full integrated pilot system was operated and tested in practical flood management by regional, national, and local institutions during the project.

What data inputs does the system require to generate forecasts?

Based on available project data, the system integrates input data streams with a hydrological model running on a cloud computing platform. Specific data sources are not detailed in the objective, but streamflow forecasting typically requires rainfall observations, satellite data, and river gauge readings.

Does the system comply with international standards for disaster early warning?

The project data does not reference specific compliance standards. However, the system was co-designed with regional institutions and tested in practical flood management, suggesting alignment with operational requirements of West African meteorological and disaster management agencies.

Consortium

Who built it

The FANFAR consortium brings together 6 partners from 6 countries (Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Niger, Nigeria, and Sweden), giving it genuine pan-European and West African reach. The coordinator is Sweden's national meteorological institute — a credible public-sector lead for weather and water prediction technology. With 2 industry partners (both SMEs) and a 33% industry ratio, there is private-sector involvement but the project leans toward public-sector and institutional deployment. The inclusion of Nigerian and Nigerien partners signals direct engagement with the target region rather than a purely European effort imposed from outside.

SVERIGES METEOROLOGISKA OCH HYDROLOGISKA INSTITUTCoordinator · SE
ISARDSAT SLparticipant · ES
CENTRE REGIONAL AGRHYMETparticipant · NE
EIDGENOESSISCHE ANSTALT FUER WASSERVERSORGUNG ABWASSERREINIGUNG UND GEWAESSERSCHUTZparticipant · CH
TERRADUE SRLparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

Contact the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) in Sweden — they coordinated this project and lead the operational system.

Order a report on this consortium See SVERIGES METEOROLOGISKA OCH HYDROLOGISKA INSTITUT profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the FANFAR team to discuss deploying their flood forecasting system in your operations? SciTransfer connects businesses with EU research teams. Contact us for a tailored brief.

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