AURORA Project

Pori as Part of the AURORA Project: Flood Protection of the Kokemäki River and Climate Change Adaptation

AURORA is an international research project aimed at improving the capacity to anticipate and prevent the impacts of climate change. From the perspective of Pori, the project focuses particularly on flood protection of the Kokemäki River and the management of flood risks. A key objective of the project is to examine and model factors related to climate and population health, as well as their interconnections.

As part of the project, a digital platform will be developed that utilizes research-based data to produce early warnings and targeted action guidelines, especially for flood situations. The purpose of the platform is to support the safety of city residents and to provide information to support decision-making, for example in urban planning and preparedness.

Pori serves as one of the project’s demonstration cities and plays a significant role in its implementation. AURORA involves a strong consortium of 26 partners, offering expertise from key fields such as epidemiology, climate science, and technology. The project’s solutions will be demonstrated in five demo cities (Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Tampere, Pori) and three replicator cities (Klaipėda, Joniškis, Jūrmala).

Climate change and its related health challenges are a growing concern, particularly in Northern Europe. Climate change poses significant threats to human health and well-being.

Pori’s objectives in the project:

  1. Deepen understanding of how climate change-related risk factors affect flood risks and the urban environment.
  2. Improve the anticipation of flood risks by jointly developing:
    • models that take into account land use, hydrological factors, and the impacts of climate change
    • forecasting tools that help identify future flood risks and prepare for them
    • a platform that utilizes these models as well as climate and water system data, supporting decision-makers in planning and implementing flood protection
  3. Enhance proactive decision-making and cities’ preparedness for flood situations by:
    • producing early warnings and action recommendations for flood risk management
    • assessing the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of different flood protection solutions
  4. Test the functionality of AURORA tools in five demo cities (Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Tampere, Pori) and three replicator cities (Klaipėda, Jūrmala, Joniškis).
  5. Promote the widespread adoption of solutions developed in AURORA through effective communication, collaboration, and training.

The project follows a “One Health” approach, where the well-being of humans, animals, and the environment is seen as an interconnected whole. In Pori, this is reflected particularly in efforts to enhance residents’ safety while simultaneously safeguarding the sustainability of the natural environment through flood protection measures.

Project details:

  • Project name: AURORA – Demonstration of transformative solutions to strengthen climate change adaptation and improve population health in the EU boreal region
  • Duration: 1 September 2024 – 29 February 2028
  • Funding programme: Horizon Europe Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA)
  • Total budget: €7.21 million
  • Project number: 101157643
  • Funded by: European Union