Digital Twins for Hydrology

Digital Twins (DT) are a dynamic virtual representation of a system and have been widely used in engineering and industry. A key advantage of DT technology is its ability to quickly capture and visualize large spatially disparate data sources and to combine them with numerical modelling to replicate systems in real time as well as provide near time forecasts and predictions. Here we present a pilot DT, FLOODTWIN, built for water-related hazard forecasting and decision-making in the first instance for Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire (UK), a region heavily impacted by several hydrometeorological hazards including groundwater, surface water, river and coastal flooding. This federated cyber-physical infrastructure ecosystem was conceptualized using interconnected systems including a programme of Earth Observation (EO), sensor and network integration, modelling, data infrastructure development and stakeholder engagement. Significant outcomes of FLOODTWIN include the integration of EO and sensor data, a combined ground/surface water model geared towards decision making, development of a real-time digital hub for assessing, analysing, storing, passing and serving data and longitudinal professional stakeholder engagement through co-creation of project tools. This interdisciplinary study helps to improve the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of a new evidence-base to underpin improved multi-agency decision-making in flood risk management - with possible foci including past flood review, nowcasting and future planning.