A Digital Twin of Earth’s water cycle: progress and promise

Director of Research
National Research Council, Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection of (CNR-IRPI), Italy

Luca Brocca is a researcher at the forefront of hydrological innovation, developing innovative methods to leverage satellite observations for tackling critical issues such as floods, landslides, drought, and agricultural challenges.

As Principal Investigator and co-PI, Luca actively leads multiple high-impact research projects funded by the European Commission and prominent Space Agencies, including ESA and EUMETSAT.

In 2018, his remarkable SM2RAIN algorithm, designed for accurate precipitation and irrigation estimation, earned him the prestigious BayWa Smart Farming Challenge at the Copernicus Masters. He was recognized as a ‘Highly Cited Researcher’ by the Web of Science Group – Clarivate in both 2019 and 2020, and his work in the field was further acknowledged in 2021 with the ESA–EGU Earth Observation Excellence Award.

Researcher in flood risk management – Hydrology and Hydraulics
CIMA Research Foundation, Italy

Lorenzo Alfieri is a leading researcher specializing in natural hazards, flood mapping and disaster risk assessment, and climate change adaptation. A core developer of the European (EFAS) and Global (GloFAS) flood early warning systems through the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, his work delivers real-time data to advance innovative strategies for a resilient global community.

With over a decade of experience in international organizations such as the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission, Lorenzo’s work has featured in top journals and media like The Guardian and El Pais, and in the IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C.

Senior Scientist in Remote Sensing
TU Wien, Austria

Mariette Vreugdenhil is an Earth scientist and remote sensing expert working on the retrieval and analysis of land surface variables from Earth observation data to improve our understanding of land surface processes in a changing climate, and to mitigate risks related to natural disasters.

Based at TU Wien, her research has centered on high resolution soil moisture and drought monitoring, modellng and flood prediction using the Digital Twin Earth Hydrology Datacube.

Principal Researcher
International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

Giriraj Amarnath is a researcher specializing in the application of remote sensing and geographic information systems to assess a wide range of natural hazards and for monitoring land and water resources in Asia and Africa.

Giriraj has is a leading supporter of Sentinel Asia and won the World Geospatial Excellence Award in 2020. He is also working with the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE).

Senior Researcher
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Sweden

Ilias Pechlivanidis is a senior researcher in hydrology and water resources, and a leads the Analytics and Dissemination Centre for the Copernicus European Flood Awareness System. Additionally, he coordinates seasonal forecasting services in Europe and globally.

Ilias holds several senior positions, including being as a member of the World Meteorological Organization Research Board, Co-Chair of HEPEX, a Reference Member at the Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science, and the first Earth Observation Evangelist for agriculture at the FIRE forum.