Milan, January 22-24, 2025 – The AHEAD project, aimed at improving disaster damage and loss data management in Europe, officially commenced with a kick-off meeting in Milan. The project aspires to develop a comprehensive and fully engineered information system (IS) designed to collect and analyze post-disaster damage and loss data. Building on prior efforts, this advanced IS will enable the input of geolocated damage data across multiple sectors and facilitate querying for data reporting and visualization.
This innovative system will support various purposes, including accounting for Sendai indicators, requests to the Solidarity Fund, state or insurance compensation, risk analysis improvement, evidence-based early warning, and forensic investigation to support disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate adaptation measures.
During the kick-off meeting, stakeholders and members of the Advisory Board participated in a workshop to discuss expectations and contributions from project partners such as POLIMI, UPORTO, DKKV, AFPCNT, Modigliana Municipality, and associated partners including JRC and Lombardia Region.
Key discussions focused on:
- Assessing gaps and opportunities in existing databases currently in use, such as the Lombardia Region RASDA.
- Defining use cases with stakeholder engagement for data modeling in sectors that have not been developed yet, including critical infrastructure (waste, water, structural defenses), cultural heritage, and the natural environment.
- Aligning terminology with other initiatives, such as OECD standards for damage to economic activities.
The AHEAD project represents a significant step forward in enhancing impact-based knowledge and fostering resilience against future disasters.