In recent decades, there has been a growing focus on non-structural approaches, particularly early flood forecasting and warning systems, as effective means to mitigate the adverse impacts of floods. These systems have attracted attention for their ability to provide timely information to both citizens and authorities, enabling them to take necessary actions to safeguard their properties and infrastructure without the need for physical modifications or additional space. Real-time flood forecasting (RTFF) systems have gained popularity in early flood warning.
Data for RTFF can be sourced from various outlets, though sometimes access to these sources can be limited or challenging. RTFF necessitates the modeling of complex distributed systems with high spatial and temporal intricacies. This demands substantial computing resources and may leave limited time for timely early warnings. Significant breakthroughs have occurred in recent decades to address major challenges in the key stages of RTFF, including data collection and preparation, model development, performance assessment, and practical applications.
The objective of this session is to address challenges and advancements in the field by leveraging state-of-the-art techniques, new frameworks, equipment, software tools, hardware facilities, and the integration of existing methods with contemporary algorithms. We will also explore digital innovations and their applications in new pilot studies.
Specifically, this session will concentrate on the following research areas related to RTFF, with a focus on but not limited to:
● Hydrological data collection, analysis, imputation, assimilation and fusion taken from various data sources including ground stations, radar stations, remote sensing (aerial/satellite)
● RTFF modelling including physically/processed-based, conceptually-based, experimentally-based or data-driven modelling such as artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML)
● Application RTFF for flood alleviation or engagement with the public and authorities, such as early warning and early action systems, digital innovations such as digital twins (DT), or integrated with digital technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
● The broader implications of RTFF and early warning systems as soft engineering approaches, including their impact on flood risk management, insurance, capacity building, and community resilience.