The Operational Unit “BEYOND Centre of Earth Observation Research and Satellite Remote Sensing” of the National Observatory of Athens (NOA), in collaboration with the PRAXI Network/FORTH, co-organised a two-day event in Tbilisi, Georgia, on July 8–9, 2025, with the support of the Georgian National Environmental Agency, in the framework of the European FPCUP programme (Caroline Herschel Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake).
A workshop was held on July 8, followed by a hands-on session on July 9, to address the significant challenges posed by natural disasters in Georgia, while introducing the Copernicus services that support monitoring and provide critical information on floods and wildfires.
The event in Georgia built upon NOA’s extensive experience in Earth Observation (EO) for monitoring natural disasters. The FloodHUB and FireHUB services, developed by the BEYOND Centre, were the main focus of the training sessions presented on the first day of the event. On the second day, participants engaged in hands-on sessions to gain practical experience with various Copernicus monitoring platforms. These sessions enhanced participants’ understanding and capacity in using EO tools for disaster preparedness and response.
The workshop was opened by Elene Ghubianuri, Head of the Georgian National Environmental Agency, and included the following presentations:
* BEYOND Centre of Excellence: research and innovative services for Civil Sector Resilience, by Haris Kontoes, Research Director, Operational Unit BEYOND/IAASARS/NOA
* The FPCUP project: Objectives and Actions, by Dimitra Tsoutsou, PRAXI Network / FORTH
* Emergency Management Systems in Georgia, by Temur Melkadze, Georgian Emergency Management Service
* Copernicus European & Global Flood Awareness System (EFAS & GLOFAS) and European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) and data access, by Elena Nikolaeva, Geophysics expert
* The FloodHub services for floods: near-real-time monitoring, early warning, mapping and flood risk assessment in Greece, by Alexia Tsouni, Research Associate, Operational Unit BEYOND/IAASARS/NOA
* The Development of Nationwide Flood Forecasting and Early Warning Systems in Georgia, by Soso Kinkladze, Georgian National Environmental Agency
* The FireHub services for forest fires: near-real-time monitoring, smoke dispersion, burnt scar mapping and daily fire risk forecast in Greece, by Martha Kokkalidou, Research Associate, Operational Unit BEYOND/IAASARS/NOA
* Forest fires in Georgia, by Giorgi Tkhelidze, Georgian Forestry Agency