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Tackling Climate Resilience in Europe

As climate change reshapes our world, Europe faces a stark new reality: extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires are growing longer, more frequent, and more intense.
In 2022, the region endured its hottest summer on record, widespread drought affecting over 630,000 km², and the largest wildfire in EU history.

+1.4ºC

Summer 2022

1.4°C warmer than the
recent average

Simultaneously, record-breaking marine heatwaves swept the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, further destabilizing ecosystems.

At the heart of these challenges are interconnected patterns of atmospheric and oceanic behavior, including the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation. Understanding these complex relationships is critical to predicting and preparing for compound events that threaten communities, economies, and environments.

This project aims to uncover these links, driving innovative strategies for climate adaptation and resilience.

Our research questions

1
How well do we understand what is the relationship between these three different extremes?
2
Can we use Earth Observation to showcase underlying common spatiotemporal features?
3
Can it allow us to better predict such events, anticipate their impacts and promote early response measures to mitigate them?

Addressing Extreme Heat Events

XHEAT tackles one of climate change's most pressing challenges: extreme heat events. Across Europe and North Africa, rising temperatures, marine heatwaves, and combined drought-heatwave events are disrupting ecosystems, agriculture, and forestry.
To address these threats, XHEAT is advancing the use of cutting-edge satellite tools to detect, analyse, and predict these extremes, focusing on interactions between land and sea. By uncovering how these events affect critical sectors, the project aims to enhance resilience strategies and inform early response measures.
As the impacts of climate change grow, XHEAT provides vital insights to protect vulnerable regions and ecosystems, helping us prepare for an uncertain future.

Advancing Extreme Heat Monitoring
and Impact Assessment

Develop Novel EO Indicators

Create new tools for detecting extreme heat events

Example Image 1

Map Compound Extreme Events

Identify their distribution and frequency

Example Image 2

Analyse Drivers and Cascade Effects

Understand causes and impacts of MHWs and CDHWs

Example Image 3

Examine Weather and Climate Drivers

Study atmospheric and oceanic influences

Example Image 3

Assess Social and Sectoral Impacts

Focus on agriculture and forestry adaptation

Example Image 3
mapa

Tracking Extreme Heat Across Key Regions

The project will be particularly valuable in regions prone to such extremes, including Northern Europe (North Sea), Western Europe (Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Coast), and Southern Europe and North Africa (Mediterranean Sea

Addressing Extreme Heat Events

Agriculture and Forestry management

Identifying how heat events impact crops and forests, helping to improve adaptation strategies.

Understanding these patterns helps predict and manage climate impacts, which can influence nature and forestry. For example, knowing how marine heatwaves relate to temperature changes on land could be key for forest management, fire risk, and adapting to climate change.

Policymakers and Government Agencies

Offering insights that can inform climate policy and disaster preparedness

Our research is critical for policymakers because it provides a deeper understanding of climate dynamics, supporting more informed decisions on climate adaptation and mitigation. It aligns with international and EU climate goals, offering insights that can guide effective policies for climate resilience, resource management, and sustainable development

Researchers and Scientists

Providing new data and tools to enhance the understanding of heatwaves and droughts

For researchers, this project offers a rigorous, data-driven approach to understanding complex climate patterns, with a focus on marine heatwaves and related events. It will contribute valuable insights into the spatiotemporal behaviours of climate indicators, supporting advanced modelling, climate prediction, and development of digital twin solutions for climate adaptation.

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