The intensification of extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall or prolonged droughts, is leading to increasing risks. The climate is changing before our eyes and I don’t think anyone doubts that this is the ‘new normal’. How do we meet these challenges? What is climate change adaptation and how does the use of advanced digital tools support water management projects in the context of preventing the negative effects of climate change?
In Brief:
Climate change adaptation and MAP
Climate change adaptation is about adapting infrastructure and activities to new, changing climatic conditions. In the context of water management, this means creating systems that are resilient to changing hydrological regimes, ensuring effective flood protection and increasing water retention in cities and agricultural areas.
Cities, as particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, require finely tuned adaptation plans that include upgrading existing water infrastructure and implementing new technologies. Municipal Adaptation Plans (MAPs) provide a basis for implementing adaptation measures and an emphasis on integrating technical with educational and organisational measures.
An MAP is a comprehensive document that should include both an analysis of climate risks for a city and a detailed set of actions to reduce its vulnerability to these risks. This plan will need to take into account, among other things:
- Climate change scenarios, i.e. projections of future weather and climate conditions.
- An assessment of the city’s vulnerability – which elements of the city’s infrastructure and social life are most exposed to the negative effects of climate change.
- An adaptation action programme, i.e. a set of specific actions to be taken to increase the city’s resilience to climate change.
Who must have a municipal adaptation plan?
In the amended law, the obligation to develop an MAP applies to all Polish cities with at least 20,000 inhabitants. This means that nearly 220 Polish cities will have to prepare such a document in the near future. What is the current situation with issuing permits for development in floodplains? We write about this in the entry Flood 2024.
Hydraulic and hydrodynamic modelling supports green and blue infrastructure projects
Hydraulic and hydrodynamic models make it possible to optimize the design of water engineering structures such as dikes, reservoirs or culverts. With the help of simulations, different scenarios can be tested and project parameters can be adjusted to optimize, among other things, rainwater management. This is important in the context of developing effective MAPs.
HydroBIM offers advanced hydraulic and hydrodynamic modelling services to underpin adaptive water management strategies. Accurate water flow simulations and hydrodynamic analyses support the analysis and prediction of the effects of extreme weather events and their impact on infrastructure.
The integration of hydraulic and hydrodynamic models with GIS data in a BIM environment makes it possible to assess the effects of planned solutions, such as river restoration or the construction of retention basins, on the water environment and urban infrastructure.
If we want to create effective rainwater retention systems in cities based on green-blue infrastructure, the creation of hydraulic and hydrodynamic models is the basis for planning such solutions. Modern software, such as SCALGO or HEC-RAS, which has been successfully used in HydroBIM for years, comes to the rescue. We are happy to share our knowledge and experience.
Using the Digital Twin and real-time monitoring
An innovative approach that integrates digital technologies into water management is the concept of the Digital Twin. At HydroBIM, we have even developed a digital twin study for the Vistula River dyke project.
Real-time management of information about hydraulic structures makes it possible to optimize operational processes, monitor the technical condition of hydraulic structures and predict potential risks based on current and forecast data. Such models can be created locally, in individual catchments, and gradually integrated into provincial or even central systems covering the entire country. Sounds unrealistic? It’s not a fantasy – the technology is available now!
Get in touch with HydroBIM!
Adapting to climate change in the context of water management requires state-of-the-art technology, precise modelling and analysis of various scenarios.
HydroBIM offering, which combines advanced engineering tools with innovative digital solutions, provides a comprehensive response to the challenges posed by a changing climate. Would you like to find out more? Feel free to contact us!