The European Commission Destination Earth initiative was launched to develop a digital twin of the Earth. The initiative will be implemented by ECMWF, ESA and EUMETSAT in close collaboration with the European partners in the field. The overall aim is to monitor, explain and predict change – providing quantitative scenarios for guiding efficient policy-making in the context of the European Green Deal. Decision makers benefit because the system allows users to explore the consequences of different strategies for tackling climate change and to respond to extreme weather events by testing a range of scenarios and mitigation strategies. 

A digital twin is a computer replica. In Destination Earth, it will integrate existing building blocks such as satellite observations, data assimilation frameworks and Earth-system models. It provides an unparalleled breakthrough in information completeness and quality by (i) creating a system capable of solving much larger problems with fully interactive workflows, (ii) incorporating human systems and behaviours, (iii) enhancing digital agility to benefit optimally from the latest advances in information theory and digital technology. The ambition is to provide a kilometre-scale global toolbox for exploring the local response of the earth system to extreme weather and climate adaptation scenarios as a complement to other, mature systems.

The aim of the Destination Earth initiative, which is an essential part of the European strategy for data and part of the Digital Europe programme, is to establish a highly precise digital model of the Earth by integrating a range of digital twins. Data and knowledge about the natural system knowledge will also be important in the development of the digital twin because they help us to constrain or refine the possible scenarios and outcomes of our predictions. In addition, all the data and products generated by the digital twin will be made available to the community for further downstream applications, sharing knowledge effectively and filling gaps across the world where no observational data is available.

Initially, the focus in Destination Earth will be on two digital twins: one for weather-induced and geophysical extremes and one for climate change adaptation. More digital twins will be added later, possibly focusing on biodiversity or geophysical hazards (such as earthquakes). By the end of the programme, these different digital twins will be merged to form a replica of the Earth system. 

Water is a key part of the modelling for the Earth system and for climate predictions. Deltares has substantial experience in this field and it can contribute to answering and addressing these research questions, not only on the national scale but also on the European scale, for example in the context of Horizon Europe projects or similar initiatives. 

The European Commission Destination Earth initiative was launched to develop a digital twin of the Earth. The initiative will be implemented by ECMWF, ESA and EUMETSAT in close collaboration with the European partners in the field. The overall aim is to monitor, explain and predict change – providing quantitative scenarios for guiding efficient policy-making in the context of the European Green Deal. Decision makers benefit because the system allows users to explore the consequences of different strategies for tackling climate change and to respond to extreme weather events by testing a range of scenarios and mitigation strategies.

A digital twin is a computer replica. In Destination Earth, it will integrate existing building blocks such as satellite observations, data assimilation frameworks and Earth-system models. It provides an unparalleled breakthrough in information completeness and quality by (i) creating a system capable of solving much larger problems with fully interactive workflows, (ii) incorporating human systems and behaviours, (iii) enhancing digital agility to benefit optimally from the latest advances in information theory and digital technology. The ambition is to provide a kilometre-scale global toolbox for exploring the local response of the earth system to extreme weather and climate adaptation scenarios as a complement to other, mature systems.

The aim of the Destination Earth initiative, which is an essential part of the European strategy for data and part of the Digital Europe programme, is to establish a highly precise digital model of the Earth by integrating a range of digital twins. Data and knowledge about the natural system knowledge will also be important in the development of the digital twin because they help us to constrain or refine the possible scenarios and outcomes of our predictions. In addition, all the data and products generated by the digital twin will be made available to the community for further downstream applications, sharing knowledge effectively and filling gaps across the world where no observational data is available.

Initially, the focus in Destination Earth will be on two digital twins: one for weather-induced and geophysical extremes and one for climate change adaptation. More digital twins will be added later, possibly focusing on biodiversity or geophysical hazards (such as earthquakes). By the end of the programme, these different digital twins will be merged to form a replica of the Earth system.

Water is a key part of the modelling for the Earth system and for climate predictions. Deltares has substantial experience in this field and it can contribute to answering and addressing these research questions, not only on the national scale but also on the European scale, for example in the context of Horizon Europe projects or similar initiatives.