NEWS: BEALERT Kicks Off in Cagli: Local Stakeholders Join Forces for Climate Resilience
On 25 September 2025, the town of Cagli hosted the first local event of the BEALERT project, bringing together institutions, civil protection authorities, and community representatives to discuss how to make territories more resilient to climate-related risks.
The meeting opened with greetings from the Unione Montana del Catria e Nerone and was followed by a presentation of the BEALERT project by Dr. Gianluca Cespuglio and Dr. Ilaria Montoni. They explained that BEALERT was born in the aftermath of the tragic flood of September 2022 in the Marche region, an event that highlighted the urgent need for faster, smarter, and more interactive alert systems.
The project’s ambition is clear: to protect communities from natural disasters through an innovative web platform and mobile app. These tools will allow local authorities to monitor risks via interactive maps and AI-powered data, while citizens will be able to receive real-time alerts and report emergencies directly from their smartphones.
The scientific session, led by the Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM), showcased how new technologies—such as geomatics, artificial intelligence, and extended reality—can support emergency management. Examples ranged from drone and Lidar surveys of rivers and infrastructure to immersive simulations that train civil protecti
on volunteers.
During the stakeholder roundtable, participants shared their experiences and concerns. Key challenges emerged:
- The national alert system, designed in the early 2000s, is no longer adequate for today’s sudden and extreme events.
- One-way communication must evolve into an interactive system that allows feedback from citizens and local authorities.
- The effectiveness of AI depends on having reliable and updated data, making information management a top priority.
- Training is essential: without well-prepared citizens and volunteers, even the best technologies lose impact.
Participants also stressed the need for backup infrastructures, better use of local sensors, and special attention to vulnerable groups in emergencies.
The Cagli event was not just a presentation—it was a collaborative workshop where local voices shaped the future of BEALERT. Their input will help ensure that the platform is practical, user-friendly, and truly capable of saving lives.