Implemented by the European Commission as part of the Copernicus Programme

GloFAS v3.1 launch and webinar!

26 May 2021 is the release of Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) version 3.1, which implements a major change in the modelling system, with updates of all related GloFAS products and data sets. Here is a summary of the main changes:

  • New modelling system based on the full configuration of the LISFLOOD model. This replaces the coupled setup of the HTESSEL land surface scheme with the simplified version of LISFLOOD to simulate the groundwater processes and the river routing.
  • Calibration of LISFLOOD model over 1226 river catchments with a total drainage area of 51 million km2 globally.
  • Enhancement of the reporting points with additional points (e.g., Morocco, Tunisia, Israel, and The Philippines) and observational datasets, fully quality checked.
  • New hydrological modelling performance layer for the reporting points with sufficient available daily observations.
  • Improvement of the Rapid Risk Assessment products and computation.
  • Availability of both operational and legacy (GloFAS 2.2) forecasts in parallel (see dedicated wiki page to know more about how to access the systems)

A webinar to introduce the modelling upgrades and new features associated with version 3.1 cycle will be hosted by GloFAS Computational Centre (COMP) on 27 May 2021 at 11:00 – 12:30 BST (12:00 – 13:30 CET). This webinar will be hosted by ECMWF in collaboration with the Anticipation Hub with the support of the JRC. Topics to be discussed in the webinar are as follows:

  • Brief introduction to GloFAS - by the Joint Research Centre
  • ‘What is new in GloFAS v3.1?’ Including information about the new modelling system, calibration of model, enhancement of products, and availability of data and forecasts - by ECMWF/JRC
  • Applications of GloFAS to support anticipatory action - by the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre
  • Interactive discussion and Q&A
  • Optional short session on GloFAS products/services - by ECMWF

The webinar will be hosted on Zoom on 27 May 2021 at 11:00 – 12:30 BST. To register, please follow this link and enter your details. You will then receive a confirmation email with a link to the Zoom Webinar. This webinar will be recorded for GloFAS training purposes.

For more information about this release and previous versions of GloFAS, we refer the users to the GloFAS wiki. After the webinar, selected slides will be made available on GloFAS resources pages.


By Antonio Casino     May 20, 2021, 8:16 a.m.