DROPS-WISE (Drought & Rainfall Observation and Prediction System – Water Intelligence Service for Europe) is an advanced digital solution being developed to strengthen climate adaptation and water resilience across Europe. DROPS-WISE integrates Earth Observation data, in-situ measurements and hydrological modelling to deliver high-resolution information on drought, extreme rainfall, flooding and related water-system risks across both urban and rural environments. The system will provide daily monitoring, hindcasting and short-term forecasting of key soil-water-vegetation indicators, combined with configurable risk indicators and early-warning services.
Through a user-friendly web interface and interoperable data services, DROPS-WISE will support operational decision-making, crisis management and longer-term planning for water authorities and other stakeholders. Designed with interoperability, data governance and scalability at its core, the solution aligns with European data standards and Copernicus services, contributing to more resilient, data-driven water management under increasing climate uncertainty.
DROPS-WISE is one of the five consortium selected under the PCP WISE innovation project. PCP WISE is a European innovation project in which public organizations and market parties from across Europe collaborate. The project focuses on developing a usable and applicable tool for water information, enabling water managers to respond better and faster to climate-related challenges. By intelligently combining satellite data with, for example, field measurements, meteorological and hydrological models, greater insight is gained into the dynamics of the aquatic vegetation system.
DROPS-WISE is formed by a consortium between FutureWater, Acacia Water, Nelen & Schuurmans, VITO, Technolution and ARUP. Futurewater is bringing its expertise in Hydrological Modelling and Analysis, Risk Assessment and Water Scarcity and Drought Management.
In July 2026 the consortium was selected for Phase 2 of the pre-commercial procurement, which runs to May 2027. Phase 2 turns the approved Phase 1 solution design into an integrated operational prototype, built in repeated cycles of development, integration, testing and refinement. Buyers and end users test the system throughout, and the prototype is demonstrated across several PCP WISE use cases covering different climatic, hydrological and operational settings, in preparation for validation in Phase 3.
In Phase 2 FutureWater develops and tests the hydrological engine behind the service. The work integrates satellite derived data into the SPHY hydrological model, couples it with the groundwater modelling contributed by Acacia Water, and sets out how the engine is calibrated, benchmarked and tested before its output feeds the drought and rainfall indicators presented in the platform.
