Destination Earth: a digital twin to save the Planet

Translated by Alessandra Fumagalli 

Climate change is one of the most difficult challenges that humanity is facing. The rise in the global temperature, the desertification of the land and the upgrowing extreme climate phenomena are proving this change and represent a threat for our planet and its fauna. These climate catastrophic events lead indeed not only to a severe damage to the economies and communities all around the world, but they are also a warning for the living creatures.  

World scientists are trying to develop innovative solutions that enable us to understand, foresee and mitigate the negative effects of climate change. Among the most innovative ways there is the European project Destination Earth (DestinE), that is characterized by the cutting edge approach and aims at realizing a digital twin of the Planet. 

What are digital twins?

Digital twin is a virtual copy of a physical object, system or process that is being updated constantly with the available data in order to monitor and analyze the real twin. Digital models are developed using real data and enable scientists to simulate, monitor and analyze the behaviour of an object in real time.  

This technology, which was originally used in an industrial environment, has been readapted, combining sensor and satellite data in order to create a virtual model of the Earth and, thanks to advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, give detailed forecasts in order to help scientists in the fight of climate change. 

Destination Earth project

Created by the collaboration among ESA (European Spatial Agency), ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) and EUMETSAT (European organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites), the complex algorithm that enabled the creation of a digital model of our plates works in Finland, using the computing power of the supercomputer Lumi. 

Destination Earth project (DestinE) is an initiative of the European Commission. having the objective to create a perfect copy of the Earth, in order to support the european environment politics, including the Green Deal. Using the computing power and the available data, it is indeed possible to test and forecast the impact of European politics on the environment. According to Umberto Modigliani, deputy director of Ecmwf’s forecast, the digital twin could make the difference also in some other sectors, like the energy, agricultural, transports, urban planification and it could help to fight against climate change. 

“In order to test the feasibility of these processes, in the first months of Destination Earth we have created tw digital twins, one for the adaptation of climate change (Climate DT) and the other for the management of extreme events (Extreme DT)", Modigliani explains. 

One of the most innovative aspects of DestinE is the ability to generate climatic simulations at high resolution through two twin digital programmes. These accurate and updated forecasts are fundamental to value and analyze the effects of climate change in lots of countries. The algorithms of the project could be used to reproduce some specific areas, being very precise, like a river, or a sea and, analyzing the past data trend and monitoring the current situation, they are able to do reliable forecasts on the future transformation of the examined zone. 

One of the key elements being part of the project is the services platform that will make each user able to have access to the already existing digital model. The platform will make  some decisional equipment , applications and services available, based on concrete data, which will be fundamental to direct and optimize the local politics. The cloud DestinE platform, indeed, giving the access to data and simulation, will favour the cooperation among research bodies, businesses, privates and institutions. This share of information is essential to develop innovative and aimed solutions, in order to fight climate change. 

Another crucial application regards the ability of the project of analyzing and supporting the urban planification and the management of the natural resources. Through detailed simulations, DestinE enables the administrators to optimize the management of the hydro and energy infrastructures and transports and the planification of urban development in an efficient and sustainable way. 

Destination Earth and its technology represent a powerful ally in the fight against climate change. In the following years, DestinE will be empowered by the supply of adding services and other digital twins will be developed and implemented that AI will be able to develop, in order to give support to users also in other sectors. If the roadmap will be respected, by 2030 there will be a “full” digital twin that will reproduce the Earth.  

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