Designing a smart early warning hydrometeorological system for flashfloods and landslides in Zagori, Epirus, Greece (UNESCO World Heritage List)

Increased intensity in rainfall leads to more intense flash floods, which seems to affect more possible landslides. Moreover, when these occurrences take place within regions designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, it holds significant importance to, at the very least, observe and subsequently establish warning systems for such events.The area of Zagori, located in North-West Greece, has just recently recognized in UNESCO’s World Heritage List for the universal value of the architecture as an example of a traditional, stone-built settlement that reflects a special culture, representative of the common heritage of Byzantine and Ottoman vernacular architecture of the wider Balkan region. The authenticity and integrity of the cultural property are also recognized concerning 20 villages distributed in Central Zagori, Tymfi and Papigo. The region experiences a substantial impact from the climate crisis, particularly during the winter season when it witnesses numerous occurrences of flash floods, ultimately leading to the influence on local landslides. Top of Form In the frame of this work, SMILE ZAGORI project’s objectives (which is funded by Greek Government) are presented, as well as the general scheme of an under-development tool that is equipped with a monitoring system for flashfloods and landslides. This system is set to advance into an expanded Early Warning System (EWS) by incorporating data from newly deployed hydro-meteorological sensors. Additionally, it will incorporate data gathered from various sources, including unmanned aircraft (UAS), terrestrial relief scanners (TLS), and handheld laser scanners (HLS) to enhance its capabilities. Keywords: Hydrometeorological hazard; Flooding; Early Warning System; Civil protection; LandslidesAcknowledgement: This work is financed by Greek Government – Program “Antonis Tritsis”. Authors would like to thank the Municipality of Zagori for the provision of available data.