The European HARMONY project under the Horizon Europe program has made significant progress in strengthening cross-border cooperation to address natural disasters. Participants in the project include, among others, the Alexander Innovation Zone (AIZ), the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (PAMTH), and the Association of Rodopi Municipalities in Bulgaria (ARM). The three organizations are collaborating within the framework of the Greek-Bulgarian pilot project, with the AIZ serving as the overall coordinator, and the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (REMTh) and the Association of Rodopi Municipalities (ARM) coordinating the respective activities on the Greek and Bulgarian sides.
During the first participatory workshop in Alexandroupoli in March 2026, operational needs were mapped by local stakeholders, lead in drafting a cross-border protocol, and designing a pilot evaluation of the digital tools for flood management in the cross-border region of Evros and Arda basin.
This progress is reflected in three interrelated areas: the establishment of common operational procedures, the development of digital decision-support tools, and the preparation of pilot testing.
From Dialogue to the Development of Cross-Border Protocols
One of the most significant outcomes of the cooperation to date is the development of a draft harmonized operational protocol for managing cross-border flood events between Greece and Bulgaria.
The process was based on participatory workshops involving civil protection agencies, local and regional authorities, law enforcement agencies, and technical organizations. A total of 64 participants took part in the two national workshops, while in the cross-border workshop held on June 11, 2026, 28 stakeholders were attender, who examined the critical phases of managing a cross-border flooding event.
The process highlighted specific challenges, such as the need of harmonized terminology and warning levels, the exchange of reliable data between the two countries, and the clarification of responsibilities and communication procedures among the stakeholders and agencies involved.
Building on these results, a draft operational protocol consisting of 32 articles was developed, which specifies the procedures for early warning, coordination of public alerts, escalation of an incident, and submission of requests for assistance.
For example, in the event of an increased flood risk on the Bulgarian side, the protocol specifies which agencies must be notified, what information must be transmitted, and how the necessary coordination measures will be carried out on the Greek side.
The goal is to establish clear and practical procedures that will, connecting national civil protection systems rather than replacing them. The plan will be subject to further operational evaluation.
Digital tools for better forecasting and decision-making
At the same time, HARMONY develops a comprehensive digital platform that integrates five interconnected digital services for data exchange, risk assessment, and decision support at the strategic and operational levels.
For the Greek-Bulgarian pilot project, the Flood Resilience Tool is of particular importance; it is developed with a focus on the Arda River basin. The tool is designed to utilize hydrometeorological data and simulation models, providing flood risk maps, assessments of the evolution of potential flood events, and forecasts with a 1–3-day lead time.
In combination with the data exchange platform and the other HARMONY services, the goal is to create a more comprehensive risk management so that the competent authorities can assess potential impacts on areas and critical infrastructure and plan appropriate measures in a timely manner. Development of the tools is currently underway, and their functionality and usefulness will be evaluated through pilot implementation.
The Greek-Bulgarian pilot project is moving into the test preparation phase
Based on the pilot project’s timeline, the initial assessment of the characteristics of the cross-border region, existing civil protection mechanisms, available infrastructure, and cooperation needs between the two countries has already been completed.
As part of the preparations for the testing, the Civil Protection Directorate of the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace developed an initial operational flood risk scenario, which examines the sequence of actions required when a potential flood event in Bulgaria affect areas of Greece.
The scenario focuses on the information flow, from the initial identification of the risk and notification of the competent authorities in Bulgaria to the official communication of the information to the Greek side and the corresponding coordination procedures enabling at all levels of governance (national, regional, local).
Future desk-based exercises will examine how the information generated by the HARMONY tools can be utilized, whether the proposed procedures meet the actual needs of the relevant agencies, and which features require further improvement.
The evaluation will be based on specific indicators and criteria established during the planning of the pilot implementation and through participatory workshops.
About HARMONY
HARMONY is a European project that aims to strengthen cross-border cooperation for the prevention, preparedness, and response to natural disasters through harmonized operational procedures and innovative digital tools.
The project’s solutions are being developed and evaluated in three cross-border pilot regions with the participation of regional and local government agencies: Greece–Bulgaria, Spain–Portugal, and Albania–North Macedonia.
The project is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe program (Grant Agreement No. 101225967).
