Listening to Nature: How Smart Sensors Are Transforming Civil Protection
11/12/2025
Who is keeping coastal communities safe from environmental threats? What tools do they rely on, and where is this new approach being tested? Across Italy and Croatia, emergency teams and researchers are embracing a high-tech ally: “smart” sensors that track natural hazards in real time. The work is part of DIGITAL PLAN, an EU-funded project launched in 2024 to modernise civil protection plans through Internet of Things (IoT) technology. By transforming raw environmental data into early warnings, DIGITAL PLAN is helping make coastal regions, from rugged mountain parks to small seaside towns, better prepared for the risks they face.
Discrete IoT devices now “listen” to nature, measuring rainfall, wind, temperature, and more. The readings provide early warnings, allowing authorities to intervene before small problems escalate. This article examines how the pilot area operates, the technical setup of its sensors, and how raw environmental data is transformed into life-saving alerts.
Small Sensors, Big Network
Perched on a hill above an Adriatic town, a slender antenna collects signals from sensors scattered across the landscape. These IoT devices—positioned in trees, embedded in soil, or placed near rivers—measure environmental conditions.
Each unit combines a sensor, a tiny computer, and a radio transmitter, powered by batteries or solar panels.
Data is sent wirelessly to a base station and then to a central hub known as a Broker, using a lightweight messaging protocol called MQTT. From there, readings are relayed to two platforms: an IoT “Wallet,” which stores raw data, and a Decision Support System (DSS), which analyses risks and triggers alerts when thresholds are crossed.
Transmitting data across remote areas posed a major challenge. Rather than relying on Wi-Fi or mobile networks, DIGITAL PLAN uses low-power, long-range protocols like LoRaWAN, which can transmit over 10 km while consuming minimal energy. Other technologies considered include Sigfox and NB-IoT. This ensures that even sensors deep in forests or high on mountains can reliably send data without frequent battery changes. The result is a resilient, cost-effective network feeding environmental information into the cloud.
Listening to Nature’s Warnings
What are these sensors tracking, and why does it matter? It depends on the local risks. Across six pilot sites in Italy and Croatia, sensors are tailored to the hazards in each area.
● In wildfire- and avalanche-prone zones, weather stations track temperature, humidity, and wind.
● On unstable hillsides, soil moisture and rainfall sensors detect landslide risks.
In low-lying wetlands and river deltas, rain gauges and water level monitors signal potential flooding.
Each site combines real-time measurements with local environmental factors, including slope and soil type. Data flows into live dashboards, providing authorities with a continuous picture of environmental conditions. In a world of increasingly extreme weather, early detection can mean the difference between a minor incident and a major disaster. Essentially, the IoT network acts as a team of “nature reporters,” sending timely warnings so communities can respond promptly.
From Data to Decision
Collecting data is only half the story—the real value lies in turning it into actionable alerts. Risk Calculation Experts have developed formulas that define low, medium, and high-risk thresholds. These algorithms, embedded in the DSS, mix sensor readings with fixed local parameters.
For example:
● Landslides: If rainfall exceeds 50 mm in 24 hours and soil moisture is high, risk is flagged as “high.” Lesser amounts trigger medium or low alerts.
● Floods: Small rain totals indicate low risk, higher totals trigger medium alerts, and extreme rainfall signals imminent flooding.
Each formula is adapted to the hazard and local context. Steep slopes tolerate less rain than flat valleys. The DSS constantly monitors readings and sends instant notifications—via dashboards, texts, or alarms—allowing authorities to act: dispatch inspectors, close risky trails, or issue evacuation orders. Risk levels are presented in clear, colour-coded categories, ensuring complex science becomes simple, actionable information.
A Cross-Border Mission
While each pilot addresses local threats, DIGITAL PLAN is fundamentally cross-border. Natural disasters do not respect national boundaries, so Italy and Croatia face shared challenges. The project aims to standardise how sensor data is collected and analysed, enabling interoperability: responders in Dubrovnik can interpret data from Italy’s Fermo region, and vice versa.
This cooperation extends to administration and training. The project digitises civil protection plans, replacing paper-based strategies with shared digital formats enriched with live data. Italian rangers, Croatian officers, scientists, and regional planners meet regularly to exchange knowledge on IoT and disaster management. Running until 2026, DIGITAL PLAN is funded by the EU’s Interreg Italy–Croatia programme, promoting cross-border collaboration as a new norm.
Data and Innovation for Resilience
As sensors quietly ping along coasts and mountains, they do more than collect data—they build resilience. By detecting subtle changes before avalanches, wildfires, floods, or landslides strike, these devices give communities something priceless: time to act.
The story is as much about people as it is about technology. Park wardens and emergency crews now have dashboards displaying the pulse of their environment. Residents gain peace of mind knowing that sensors and algorithms are monitoring hazards. Across borders, agencies and universities pool knowledge to protect shared landscapes.
DIGITAL PLAN paints a hopeful picture: when data is shared and communities work together, we become stronger against nature’s extremes, securing a safer future for all.
