Project description and objectivesThe primary objectives of the project are: to promote cross border cooperation in the field of flood prevention, the establishment and running of reliable flood forecasting tools and reservoir operation scenarios for accurate and timely flood forecasts with sufficient lead time, effective dissemination of flood forecast information and warning messages to the end users, development of alarm procedures and information campaigns, awareness-raising, training and learning in cooperation with the local administration and population, installation additional gauging stations and associated real-time data transmission equipment in cross border region for co-operation in the field of sustainable flood risk management and flood protection. Building the consortium, two type of partners are selected: research and development with certain capacity in flood modelling and forecasting (NIMH BG and DUTH GR) and water management and flood prevention authorities (EARBD BG and RDF-EMTHR GR). The primary objective of the project is the establishment and running of an effective flood warning system on Arda river. Main objectives of the project are:• Creating reliable flood detection and forecasting tools, reservoir operation scenarios.• To provide accurate and timely flood forecasts with sufficient lead time for successful reduction of flood damages, especially prevention of loss of human lives in the Arda basin.• Development of alarm procedures as well as public information campaigns, awareness-raising, training and learning in cooperation with the local administration and population to ensure the appropriate reactions in emergency situations.• Effective dissemination of flood forecast information and warning messages into simple, easily understandable and useful to the end users.• Installation additional gauging stations and associated real-time data transmission equipment in cross-border region for co-operation in the field of sustainable flood risk management and flood protection.• To promote cross border cooperation in the field of flood prevention.• To serve as a model for establishing a flood warning systems in other border areas.• To strengthen cooperation among BG/GR in international forums on flood risk management on matters of common interest and common solutions Achievements: The creation of the operational flood forecasting technology and ensuring flood warnings five days ahead of time for the Arda river basin are among the main project results. The project creates cross-border technological capacity, increases the security for the local population and serves to improve the business climate in the region.The Project ARDAFORECAST was included in the publication of the European Commission http://ec.europa.eu/budget/library/biblio/documents/2016/Factsheet2.pdf. In the 12 pages factsheet, the Commission sets some examples on how the EU budget works for the EU citizens. Among the 28 examples, one from each Member State, ARDAFORECAST was selected to illustrate a best practice example.