The Baltic Sea Action Group works to bring together all parties of society to rescue the vulnerable marine ecosystem of the Baltic Sea. Vaisala has joined the effort and will deliver a hydrological forecasting system for the Pärnu River basin in Estonia.

The project is being carried out in cooperation with the Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (EMHI) and the Tallinn Technical University (TTU). When completed, the data provided by the system will be used for monitoring water levels and quality in the Pärnu River. The Pärnu River drains into one of the large bays of the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Riga. Therefore, the water quality of the river directly influences the Baltic Sea water quality, which in turn emphasizes the importance of monitoring the river water.

"The new system is especially beneficial in terms of providing us with more specific information on the water level and flow in the Pärnu River. Real-time hydrological forecasting helps us predict possible flooding situations and generally makes us better equipped to manage the whole water system in Estonia," says Juta Kuik, head of EMHI's hydrological department.

"The Pärnu River is also a very popular tourist and recreation area, and these activities benefit from timely water level forecasts as well. We already have plans to extend the system to other areas," explains Kuik.

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