Projects

EU International Projects

FLOODsite - Integrated Flood Risk Analysis and Management Methodologies

Time period: March 1, 2004 - February 28, 2009.

Web page: http://www.floodsite.net

Total budget: 9.68 million Euro

Description: The management of flood risk is a critical component of public safety and quality of life. The FLOODsite Integrated Project will produce improved understanding of specific flood processes and mechanisms and methodologies for flood risk analysis and management ranging from the high level management of risk at a river-basin, estuary and coastal process cell scale down to the detailed assessment in specific areas. It includes specific actions on the hazard of coastal extremes, coastal morphodynamics and flash flood forecasting, as well as understanding of social vulnerability and flood impacts, which are critical to improving the mitigation of flood risk from all causes. The project seeks to identify technologies and strategies for sustainable flood mitigation and defence, recognising the complex interaction between natural bio-physical systems and socio-economic systems, to support spatial and policy planning in the context of global change and societal advance. Several pilot studies are included in FLOODsite. These will identify lessons from recent floods (e.g. Elbe, 2002), and test the proposed operational use of methods on integrated risk management and sustainable flood defence (the Thames and Scheldt Estuaries, the Elbe river basin and the Ebro coastal delta) or new technology for flash flood forecasting (in France and Italy). FLOODsite will also develop common language, guidance and tools for dissemination of the project results and professional training packages. FLOODsite will build upon the previous and current European and national research and practice in river and coastal flood processes and flood risk mitigation methods to promote consistency of approach.

The department will be involved in three Project Tasks with the toal budget of 700,000 Euro (with the EU contribution of 360,000 Euro):

Task 20: Development of framework for the influence and impact of uncertainty

Task 30: Web-based knowledge transfer

Task 32: Networking and harmonisation

Most of the scientific contributions are expected in Task 20.

Participants: D.P. Solomatine (project manager of the IHE component of the project), R.K. Price, D.L. Shrestha (PhD fellow).

TELEFLEUR - Telematics assisted handling of flood emergencies in urban areas (DGXIII)

Time period: 1998-2000.

Description: The objective of this project is the development of a comprehensive operational system for handling urban flood emergencies that synthesises cutting edge telematics technology with advanced forecasting of meteorology and hydrology encapsulated in a Decision Support System (DSS). IHE is responsible for the development of the core of DSS. DSS will have the capability to: manage the dynamic information provided by telemetry, feed these dynamic data (along with relevant static data on topography, land-use/ground cover etc.) into an array of modelling tools, forecast flooding conditions, and assist public authorities in decisions regarding emergency measures. The utility of a validated, integrated system shall be demonstrated in Athens and in Genova, Liguria. Substantial government support has been secured at both sites.

Participants: R.K. Price (project manager), A.J. Abebe, D.P. Solomatine.

ELTRAMOS - Electronic trading of modelling services and assets for engineering small and medium enterprises and institutes (DGXIII, Contract N 26700)

Time period: 1998-2000

Web site: http://www.eltramos.ihe.nl, http://www.eltramos.com

Description: ELTRAMOS addresses the electronic trading of software and expertise by suppliers to SMEs for simulation modelling of water resources and more generally for hydroinformatics applications. The Project aims at development and validation through the demonstrators of a new work environment for small engineering companies. In addition the ELTRAMOS platform will be used to show the impact of electronic trading on the associated market and to lay down the basis for future commercial exploitation. One of the key ELTRAMOS services (developed by IHE) is the Decision Support System for Hydraulic Software Selection (DSS/SS).

Participants: R.K. Price (project manager), S. Velickov, D.P. Solomatine.

ETNET 21 ENVIRONMENT-WATER - European Thematic Network of Education and Training for Environment-Water

Time period: 2000-2003

Web page: http://etnet.vub.ac.be

Description: ETNET 21 focuses on the relation between (i) the learning processes, methods and tools (ii) research and technological development (RTD) in the broad multidisciplinary domain of environment-water as producers of new knowledge and skills to enhance the transfer of this new knowledge and skills into the higher education systems, including continuing education and training and professional development systems in a perspective of life long learning.

Participants form HIKM: R.K. Price, J.A. Cunge, I. Popescu

OSIRIS - Operational Solutions for the Management of Inundation Risks in the Information Society (Contract no IST-1999-11598)

Time period : 01.01.2000 - 31.12.2002

Web page: http://www.ist-osiris.org

Description: The objectives of the project are: to increase awareness of citizens concerning inundation risks and their implication in the crisis management process, to prepare the citizens and crisis managers to efficient protection and rescue actions during flood by improving the quality of the information made accessible before, during and after the crisis period, as well as its accessibility. The main contribution of IHE is in the development of methodologies for qualitative and quantitative uncertainty management and the propagation of uncertainty in an information and communication system.

Participants from IHE: Dr V. Guinot (project manager), Prof. J.A. Cunge (quality assurance), Prof. R.K. Price, Ir S. Maskey.

Development of guidelines for the structural, hydraulic and environmental rehabilitation of sewers

Time period : July 1998- July 2001

Description: Deliverable from the project will be a document giving best practice in rehabilitating sewers, taking into account structural, hydraulic and environmental considerations. The Guideline will be disseminated widely throughout Europe, though it is not intended as a standard.

Participants from IHE: Roland K Price

Projects funded by Dutch organisations

COW - Computer ondersteund water beheer (computer assisted water management)

Time period: 1998-2001.

Funding agency: STOWA

Participants: A.H. Lobbrecht (project manager), D.P. Solomatine, B. Bazartseren.

SNN - Application of neural netwroks and fuzzy logic for water management

Time period: 1999-2002.

Funding agency: STOWA, Delft Cluster (software and technologies)

Budget: 170 Kf

Web site: http://www.stowa-nn.ihe.nl

Description: Main objective of this project is (1) the overview of the existing experiences of using neural netwroks and fuzzy logic for water management (assessment, design, planning, operation, management) in drinking water systmes, coastal water systems, sewerage systems, inland water systems; (2) testing neural networks, fuzzy systems and, possibly other data-driven techniques in the practical applications of water board's practice: rainfall-runoff modelling and water system control.

Participants: A.H. Lobbrecht (project manager), D.P. Solomatine, Y.B. Dibike, B. Bhattacharya, B. Bazartseren.

Refresher course in hydroinformatics and water resources (given in India for alumni of IHE, 1999).

Funding agency: DGIS

Participant: R.K. Price.

NAUTILUS 10.10. Using artificial networks in daily forecasts of river flows

Time period: 24 months starting from July 2001.

Description: The project has two phases. The main objective of the first phase is to make daily forecasts of the discharges at the riverside boundaries of the Zeedelta model, which is a development under the framework of the NAUTILUS project. The forecast river discharges will then be used as boundary conditions for the Zeedelta model, which is set-up to forecast the daily currents for shipping traffic navigation and salt-intrusion. The flow predictions are to be made at three points where the main rivers, the Rhine and the Maas, enter the Zeedelta model. The objective of the second phase of the project is to assess and predict the accuracy of storm surge forecasts made using the Continental Shelf model and, in turn, the Southern North Sea model as it affects the sea-ward boundary condition for the Zeedelta model.

Funding: RIKZ

Participants from IHE: Abebe, A.J. and Price, R.K.

Projects in the framework of the Delft Cluster research programme

Hydroinformatics staff is actively involved in the activities of the Knowledge management Theme of Delft Cluster Programme. More on some of the latest developments

Data mining, knowledge discovery and data-driven modelling (DC07.05.02)

Web site: http://datamining.ihe.nl

Time period: October 2000 - December 2002.

Funding agency: ICES programme (38%), other Dutch organizations (16%), Delft Cluster partners (44%, whereas IHE 40%)

Budget: 1400 Kf

Description: Many civil engineering data-rich problems can be solved using novel data-driven modelling techniques and complement other techniques. Main objectives of this project are: to study and select the existing data mining, knowledge discovery and data-driven techniques, and practically apply them to solve practical problems posed by the practitioners in Delft Cluster; design and develop prototypes of data mining, knowledge discovery and data-driven modelling tools, and to make components of them available in the Internet environment, as a part of the Knowledge management platform; to conduct Ph.D. and MSc studies into specialised data mining and data-driven modelling techniques and their practical applications.

Main technologies investigated/used: artificial neural networks, fuzzy classification and rule induction techniques, association rules mining, classification using support vector machines (SVM), Bayesian classification, methods of non-linear dynamics.

Important application areas/subprojects are:

  • Artificial neural network modelling of sedimentation processes in Rotterdam harbour
  • Use of artificial neural network classifiers for identification of soil types based on cone penetration tests
  • Chaos theory and neural networks in predicting surge water levels in the North Sea for navigation

Participants: D.P. Solomatine (project manager), R.K. Price, S. Velickov, S. Dzenisenka, B. Bhattacharya (PhD student till August 2004).

Text Mining for Document Management

Time period: October 2000 - September 30, 2002

Funding agency: ICES programme (40%), IRC (10%), Delft Cluster partners (GeoDelft, IHE)

Budget: 185 Kf

Web site: http: www.delft-cluster.nl/textminer/

Description: The main objective of this project is within the Delft Cluster organisations to investigate the needs and applicability of text analysis tools aimed towards automated extraction and generation of technical knowledge from unstructured text information such as technical reports, e-mails, web pages, news feeds, user documents and other "grey" literature.

Participants: S. Velickov (project manager), D.P. Solomatine

Receiver-Activated Knowledge Systems

Time Period: January-October, 2001

Web site: pks.ihe.nl

A Participant Knowledge System for IHE is being tested, using a socio-technology- Syntegration-to launch an on-line Community of Practise on BSCW workspace. Thirty participants are to produce e-products by October, 2001.

HIKM Staff Involved. Beatty, Popescu, Dzenisenka, and Velickov

Lessons Learned and Know Me project

Time Period: April, 2001-June, 2002.

Lessons Learned is a process of working with two Delft Cluster Themes to set learning objectives regarding Knowledge Management (KnowMe Indicators ) and explore and capture 'lessons learned' for sharing with other Themes, and developing a template for 'lessons learned' reporting.

IHE Staff: Beatty

Value-Based Engineering

Time Period: April, 2001- June, 2002.

Value-Based Engineering is a project to demonstrate the usefulness of values as a source of learning and knowledge management improvement for professionals in Delft Cluster and sector organisations.

HIKM Staff: Beatty, Price

Projects funded by Asian Development Bank

Capacity building for Indonesia training facilities in water sector

Time period: 2000

Participants: J. Luijendijk, D.P. Solomatine.

Use of information and communication technology and distance learning by local training facilities in Indonesia

Time period: 2000

Participant: D.P. Solomatine.