Project Hydra

- Our presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16V9wRJtKHjxEL8t_OfU4HyeNqjV2u4iC/view?usp=sharing

- Our application: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pMYIL4hBQRlbtMoLWaUW7STwVc39kr9q/view?usp=sharing

Project Hydra is a digital platform for tracking, analyzing, and preventing water pollution in North Macedonia. The solution combines satellite-based environmental observation, geospatial analysis, river-flow logic, and field verification to help detect pollution hotspots and identify the most likely upstream pollution sources.

Water pollution is often discovered too late, and even when a polluted area is detected, it can take time to understand where the pollution came from. This delays the response and increases the impact on rivers, ecosystems, agriculture, nearby settlements, and downstream communities.

Project Hydra helps solve this problem by visualizing pollution events on an interactive map and connecting them with relevant environmental and geographic data. When a pollution event is detected or reported, the app shows the affected river area, pollution type, estimated impact zone, downstream settlements, affected agricultural land, and the most likely sources of pollution.

The platform includes layers for rivers, flow direction, urban areas, agricultural land, industrial zones, mining and metallurgy activities, sewage risks, food-processing facilities, chemical risks, and other potential pollution sources. Based on this information, the system creates a ranked list of suspected polluters and supports faster decision-making for inspections and response.

Project Hydra is designed as a decision-support tool for environmental inspectors, municipalities, monitoring authorities, and other stakeholders. It does not replace laboratory testing or official procedures, but it helps users understand where to look first, which areas may be affected, and which sources should be prioritized for field verification.

Idea

Our idea focuses on making water-pollution monitoring faster, smarter, and more proactive. Instead of only showing that pollution exists, Project Hydra helps understand where it may have come from and what areas could be affected.

The app works by combining pollution-event data with river-flow direction, upstream analysis, and a database of potential pollution sources. When a polluted area appears on the map, the system analyses the river network and checks which factories, settlements, agricultural zones, sewage points, mining areas, or industrial activities are located upstream.

Each possible source is then ranked using a suspicion score based on factors such as distance from the pollution event, type of activity, connection to the river, pollution category, and historical risk. This allows inspectors and authorities to quickly focus on the most relevant locations instead of manually checking a large area.

The app also shows the possible impact of the pollution event, including affected river length, nearby cities and villages, population at risk, affected farmland, and downstream areas. Inspectors can update the status of the event, add field notes, confirm or reject suspected sources, and mark the event as resolved.

The main goal of Project Hydra is to reduce the time between pollution detection and response, support better field inspections, and help prevent repeated pollution incidents through long-term monitoring.

EU Space Technologies

Project Hydra uses EU space technologies, mainly Copernicus Earth Observation data and Galileo-enabled positioning services.

Copernicus data supports wider-area monitoring of rivers, water bodies, land-use changes, vegetation, agricultural activity, and environmental changes over time. This helps provide geographic context around pollution events and supports the identification of areas where pollution risks may occur.

Copernicus can be used to observe changes in water appearance, turbidity, sediment movement, land activity near rivers, and possible environmental stress around affected zones. This is important because pollution is not limited to one point; it can move downstream and affect multiple communities, agricultural areas, and ecosystems.

Galileo supports accurate positioning during field verification. Inspectors can use Galileo-enabled devices to record the exact location of pollution observations, sampling points, suspected discharge areas, and inspection results. This improves the connection between satellite observations, map-based analysis, and real-world verification.

By combining Copernicus for environmental monitoring and Galileo for accurate field positioning, Project Hydra creates a stronger and more reliable workflow for detecting, analysing, and responding to water pollution.

EU Space for Water

Project Hydra directly addresses the EU Space for Water challenge by focusing on the tracking and prevention of water pollution.

The project supports water protection by helping users detect pollution hotspots, understand affected river areas, identify possible upstream pollution sources, and respond faster. This is especially important for rivers that pass through industrial zones, agricultural land, urban settlements, and mining or metallurgy areas.

The solution contributes to healthier rivers and safer communities by improving visibility of pollution risks and supporting faster action. It helps authorities and inspectors prioritise field checks, understand downstream impact, and reduce the delay between pollution detection and response.

By using EU space data and geospatial intelligence, Project Hydra supports a more sustainable, data-driven, and preventive approach to water-resource management.