BACH

Bach is an early-warning and decision-support platform designed to detect stress in coastal aquifers, forecast saltwater intrusion risk, and support fair water allocation before shortages and contamination escalate.

By combining Copernicus Earth observation data, Galileo-enabled field positioning, and local water measurements, Bach helps water managers identify hidden freshwater risks and act before coastal groundwater systems reach critical thresholds.

Bach addresses the invisible threat of saltwater intrusion into coastal aquifers and freshwater lenses, driven by sea-level rise, drought, over-abstraction, land-use change, storm surges and reduced groundwater recharge. Its value proposition is to turn satellite data and local ground truth into actionable risk intelligence: where aquifers are under stress, which areas require sampling or intervention, and how water can be allocated fairly across drinking water, agriculture, tourism and ecosystems.

Features & Functionality

Bach is built around a map-first platform that integrates multiple data layers into a clear operational view of coastal water risk.

Core features include Copernicus Sentinel-based indicators for vegetation stress, soil moisture proxies, flood exposure, land-cover change and coastal dynamics; Sentinel-1/InSAR and Copernicus datasets for land movement and coastal vulnerability; Galileo-enabled positioning for wells, samples, mobile sensors and field inspections; and integration of local measurements such as groundwater level, salinity, electrical conductivity and pumping data.

The platform generates aquifer stress maps, saltwater intrusion risk forecasts, early-warning alerts and scenario analysis for pumping reduction, managed aquifer recharge, alternative water sourcing and drought-period allocation. A fairness-aware decision layer helps balance competing needs across communities, agriculture, tourism and ecosystems.

Target Users & Use Cases

Bach is designed for coastal water utilities, municipal and regional water authorities, irrigation districts, environmental agencies, island governments, NGOs, development finance institutions and climate adaptation programs.

Use cases include helping utilities identify wells at risk of salinity intrusion, supporting irrigation districts during drought allocation, helping island authorities monitor freshwater lens stress, and enabling planners to justify investments in recharge, desalination backup, leakage reduction, coastal protection or water reuse.

Development Progress

Bach is currently at concept and prototype-planning stage for the CASSINI Hackathon. The initial MVP will focus on a pilot coastal area and include a Coastal Aquifer Stress Score, map-based risk visualization, basic saltwater intrusion indicators, suggested intervention priorities and a Galileo-enabled field validation workflow.

The main technical challenge is combining satellite-derived indicators with sparse local measurements in a transparent and explainable way. Bach addresses this through a hybrid approach: Earth observation for spatial coverage, field data for calibration, and decision rules that remain understandable for public authorities and communities.

Business Model

Bach will operate as a SaaS and decision-support platform for utilities, public authorities and climate adaptation programs.

Potential revenue streams include annual subscriptions, setup and calibration fees for pilot areas, premium modules for scenario planning and allocation simulation, API access for integration with SCADA and sensor networks, and implementation support for development banks, NGOs and national water-security programs.

TL;DR

Bach uses Copernicus, Galileo and field data to detect coastal aquifer stress, forecast saltwater intrusion risk and guide fair water allocation before crisis hits.