Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1514206
2023 USE CASE Greenmetrics.ai Implements Early Flood Detection with the City of Lisbon BACKGROUND Greenmetrics.ai provides customized solutions to turn real-world data into real-time decisions to optimize resource usage and mitigate climate change risks. Founded in 2022, greenmetrics.ai was accepted into Startup Lisboa, a reputable startup incubator in Portugal and soon after began deploying solutions entirely focused on impact initiatives to contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Flood detection has emerged as a priority for city organizations as extreme precipitation events are becoming more frequent and unpredictable. Early detection can lead to mitigation of flood damage, timely alerting and evacuation of impacted citizens, and data-driven decision making. SITUATION Lisbon, Portugal, has faced flooding issues in the past, particularly during heavy rainfall and storms. The city's location along the Tagus River and its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean make it susceptible to flooding, especially in low-lying areas and along the riverbanks. To address these challenges, the city has been implementing various flood prevention and management measures, such as constructing flood barriers, improving drainage systems, and implementing urban planning strategies to reduce the impact of flooding on vulnerable areas. ISSUE Historically, Lisbon has experienced some severe floods, with notable incidents occurring in the past. Additionally, climate change and urban development can exacerbate the risk of flooding in coastal cities like Lisbon. SOLUTION In February 2023, the company began a deployment with the City of Lisbon's Civil Protection Agency, and expanded the deployment in October to add additional leak detection and LiDAR sensors to monitor high-risk flood areas and drainage systems. Greenmetrics.ai utilizes LiDAR technology to measure the height of water streams with extreme precision. It allows the company to monitor the effects of concentrated rainfall in hydrographic basins and unusual variations of water height, and trigger an immediate warning to authorities. Flood detection sensors are also deployed in high risk locations in the center of Lisbon that monitor for heightened water levels. The combination of monitoring practices allows Greenmetrics.ai to establish correlations used to create numeric models based on real-world events. Authorities can closely monitor the status of river streams and anticipate unusual events triggering floods downstream. The Helium Network was chosen for connectivity for its low connectivity costs, and ubiquitous, redundant coverage across the city of Lisbon and surrounding areas. Cities Europe Community Network Helium Foundation www.helium.com hello@helium.foundation Greenmetrics.ai Lisbon, Portugal info@greenmetrics.ai RESULTS The city previously wouldn't be aware of flooding events until after the fact, usually with a 30-60 minute delay to arrive to critical areas. Early detection systems resulted in successful alerting during the Rua de Prata flood in the spring, and floods in Tercena,Paco de Arcos and Marginal in the fall. Systems allowed for one minute city response time to direct response crews to critical areas, minimized damages, improved safety, crisis management, and response plans.