BALTFLOODS Project showcased in joint simulation exercise with live Citysen.app demonstration

At the EUSBSR Forum 2026, held at Tallinna Kultuurikatel, one of the standout highlights was a joint simulation exercise conducted in close collaboration with sister projects, ClimaResponse & Crews, demonstrating how shared expertise and digital innovation can strengthen urban flood preparedness.

The session, titled “When disaster strikes – who steps up?”, brought a real flood scenario to life, engaging nearly 65 participants from citizens to key stakeholders in an interactive and immersive experience. The objective was to move beyond discussion and test practical response strategies in a realistic setting.

A central feature of the exercise was the live demonstration of the citysen.app, a web-based citizen application designed to exchange information between citizens and municipalities. Participants explored the platform in real time, testing its functionalities, contributing inputs, and simulating coordinated responses during a flood event. The hands-on approach offered valuable insights into how digital tools can enhance communication, situational awareness, and collaborative decision-making.

Delivered jointly with sister projects, the exercise created a dynamic space for cross-project learning, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. It clearly illustrated the benefits of aligning efforts, combining tools, and sharing lessons learned across initiatives in the Baltic Sea Region.

More than a demonstration, the simulation served as a real-world testing environment for solutions under development. It enabled validation of key features, collection of user feedback, and refinement of approaches that will feed into future pilot implementation, particularly in advancing citizen engagement components.

The strong participation and enthusiasm reinforced a key message:
Flood resilience is a shared responsibility.
Citizens are not only recipients of information but active contributors and essential stakeholders in building resilient communities.

“The session ultimately demonstrated how collaborative approaches supported by tools like citysen.app and the BALTFLOODS project can turn innovation into scalable, real-world impact”, says Sanna Varis, Project Manager, BALTFLOODS.

The tool has been developed with transferability in mind, making it easy for other municipalities to adopt and implement. If you are interested in piloting or testing it in your municipality, please feel free to get in touch—we would be happy to provide more information and a detailed briefing.

Find out more about the exercise and the EUSBSR Forum: here

Additional information: 

City of Lappeenranta 

Sanna Varis. Project Manager & Design Engineer 

Tel. 040 836 5038, sanna.varis@lappeenranta.fi 

City of Lappeenranta 

Rozabela Singh, Project Planner & Communication Manager 

Tel. 040 544 6284, rozabela.singh@lappeenranta.fi 

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