Innovation in coastal early warning systems: applied science to anticipate risks and protect the Basque coastline

The challenge

Modern societies, highly dependent on weather conditions, are increasingly vulnerable to extreme events and climate change. In the Basque Country—where the coast plays a strategic economic and social role—anticipating risks associated with storms, wave action, and coastal erosion is essential to safeguard lives, infrastructure, and ecosystems.

The Directorate for Emergency Management and Meteorology (DAEM) and Euskalmet launched an ambitious programme to improve early warning systems, modelling, and coastal monitoring by combining real-time observation with state-of-the-art scientific technologies.

The solution

In collaboration with AZTI, DAEM integrated operational oceanography and coastal video-monitoring technologies that enable highly accurate monitoring, analysis, and prediction of marine phenomena.

The KOSTASystem, developed by AZTI, uses more than 30 video-monitoring stations capturing high-frequency imagery to measure complex physical processes—such as coastal morphology changes, rip currents, and wave impacts—and to automatically detect coastal flooding or overtopping events.

Within the MARLIT project, AZTI, DAEM, and Euskalmet implemented new predictive algorithms and autonomous topographic observations to improve storm-risk forecasting and its evolution under climate change scenarios.

In addition, the EuskOOS system—scientifically advised by AZTI—consolidates the Basque operational oceanography network, integrating high-resolution ocean–meteorological data and providing open access for public authorities, researchers, and citizens via euskoos.eus.

The results

• More accurate and effective early warning systems for storms and coastal risks.

• Integration of real-time observations with next-generation predictive models.

• Automated detection of coastal flooding using video monitoring.

• Open access to high-quality oceanographic data to improve maritime safety and management.

• Stable scientific collaboration between AZTI, DAEM, and Euskalmet, strengthening the Basque Country’s capacity to anticipate, prevent, and respond to meteorological and marine emergencies.