Co-design and implementation of community-based flood early warning systems in eastern Argentina
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Anticipating the Flood (Anticipando la Crecida, ALC) is an outreach and research initiative focused on the co-construction of flood early warning systems (EWSs) in vulnerable neighborhoods of the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (AMBA), Argentina. The approach is participatory, promoting collaboration among local actors, professionals from several disciplines, and academic and scientific communities to design solutions tailored to the specific social and environmental conditions of each community. This work aligns with three of the four priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, addressing disaster risk understanding, risk governance, and disaster preparedness. With over ten years of interinstitutional dialogue, ALC has been able to contextualize its actions within the political, social, and environmental settings of flood-prone neighborhoods. This sustainable approach enables the project to remain relevant over time by involving professionals, lecturers, and students in response to community needs supported through funding obtained from diverse sources. These processes have built trust between local actors and scientific institutions, facilitating the co-production of situated knowledge on flooding and the emergence of new research questions. The paper presents the protocol developed by ALC for the co-production of community-based EWSs. The results demonstrate that a bottom-up approach can effectively connect scientific knowledge with concrete actions that improve the quality of life of vulnerable populations exposed to flooding, highlighting the importance of community participation, spaces for listening and dialogue, and policy integration across all levels of the state to strengthen disaster risk management.
Source: Environmental Research Climate
Authors: Federico Robledo, Diego Moreira, Camila Prudente, Nadia Testani, Ana Paula Micou, María Laura Contín, Lucía Curto, Adriana Berra, Mariano Re, Leandro D Kazimierski, Julieta Canneva, M Sol Hurtado de Mendoza, Lautaro Montecino, Natalia Colloca, Micaela Basílico, Silvana Sosa, Milagro Urricariet, Paula Richter, Fernando García, María Fernanda Alarcón, Guadalupe Alonso, Analía Pereyra, Caterina Fosser, Santiago de Lojo, María José Tesoro, Lucía Gutiérrez, Melina Graiver, Andrea Benítez, Rocío Juárez, Rocío Cano, Micaela Barboza, Natalia Rodeiro, María Duggan, Camila Cibeira, Francisca Castillo, Adrián Evaristo Pérez Vega
Institutions: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto Franco-Argentino sobre Estudios de Clima y sus Impactos, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Instituto Nacional del Agua, National University of General San Martín, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Universidad Nacional de Hurlingham, Argentine Naval Hydrographic Service
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,515
OpenAlex ID: W7165355643