Regional Cooperation Strengthens Flash Flood Warnings Across Two Regions

The two regional systems form part of the global Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) project, which supports countries in improving their ability to identify and respond to dangerous flash flood conditions.

Countries across the Black Sea, Middle East and Southeast Europe are looking at how years of cooperation on flash flood forecasting can continue as a major regional project reaches the end of its current funding period. The High-Level Steering Committee meetings of the Black Sea Middle East Flash Flood Guidance System (BSMEFFGS) and the Southeast Europe Flash Flood Guidance System (SEEFFGS) were held in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 13 and 14 July 2026.

The gatherings brought together the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), national representatives and regional partners to review progress, exchange experiences and discuss how the systems can remain useful after the current project grant from the US Department of State ends. Flash floods can develop within a short period, leaving communities with little time to prepare, which makes accurate forecasting, rapid information sharing and cooperation between meteorological and hydrological services especially important.

Years of technical cooperation have strengthened forecasting

The two regional systems form part of the global Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) project, which supports countries in improving their ability to identify and respond to dangerous flash flood conditions.

Participating countries have gained access to flash flood guidance products alongside technical cooperation and capacity development designed to strengthen operational forecasting. This shared approach allows experts to build skills, learn from neighbouring countries and make better use of meteorological and hydrological information when rapidly developing floods threaten communities.

The Tbilisi meetings marked the final Steering Committee gatherings under the current US Department of State grant, making them an important moment to assess what has been achieved and what needs to happen next. WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett attended alongside Dr Robert Wayne Jenkinson, Director of WMO's Division of Hydrology and Cryosphere, WMO colleagues, Permanent Representatives of participating countries and regional experts.

Georgia's National Environment Agency (NEA) hosted the meetings in collaboration with Global Water Partnership Georgia and WMO. Georgian participants included Nino Tandilashvili, First Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture; Elene Ghubianuri, Head of NEA; and Irakli Megrelidze, Deputy Head of NEA and Permanent Representative of Georgia to WMO.

Countries want the systems and expertise to continue

Sustainability emerged as a central issue because the end of project funding does not mean that the threat from flash floods has disappeared. Countries now face the challenge of keeping the forecasting systems operational while preserving the technical knowledge, professional networks and regional partnerships built through the project. Strong national ownership will be important, since early warning tools have greater value when countries have trained specialists capable of using them consistently within their forecasting operations.

Flood-producing weather and river systems do not necessarily follow national borders, while countries often face similar technical and operational challenges. Sharing experience and expertise can help meteorological and hydrological services improve their capabilities without working in isolation. The Steering Committee meetings gave participating countries space to discuss practical experiences, existing challenges and future priorities while maintaining links with WMO and regional partners.

The next chapter could build on existing partnerships

Participants discussed opportunities for continued cooperation between countries and regions, including initiatives being developed within WMO under the Flood Forecasting Framework (FFF). Existing expertise from BSMEFFGS and SEEFFGS could provide a useful foundation for these efforts rather than allowing established knowledge and partnerships to fade once the current grant closes.

The wider goal remains straightforward: give communities exposed to sudden flooding better information and more time to act. Keeping technical skills strong, maintaining national commitment and preserving regional networks could help countries turn years of investment in flash flood guidance into lasting early warning capacity. The Tbilisi meetings showed that while one funded phase is ending, the need for countries to work together against fast-moving flood risks remains very much alive.