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I
n recent years, the Gulf of Thailand
has been plagued by coastal flooding
caused by typhoons and storms.
A fully-automatic warning system
could predict tidal waves and floods
days in advance. Deltares is working on
a system of this kind in collaboration
with the Thai government, which, since
the Christmas tsunami in 2004, has
been looking for tools that will allow it to
assess risks better.
Deltares is developing a numerical model
first that will allow us to simulate tides and
tidal waves at both local and regional lev-
els. The warning system can then be used
to produce accurate predictions of coastal
tides, tidal waves and wave conditions.
The development of the system was
commissioned by the Hydro and Agro
Informatics Institute (HAII), a public body
that answers to the Ministry of Science
and Technology in Thailand. They
have provided funding amounting to
€250,000.
CLIMATE ROBUSTNESS
GUIDE
The changing climate imposes new
demands on our infrastructure. But to
what extent the climate will change in the
future is still uncertain.
Over the years, various scientific methods
have been developed to deal with this
uncertainty. Until now, they have not
been communicated adequately to water
managers and the field in general, but a
new guide should change that.
The Collaborative Risk Informed Decision
Analysis (CRIDA) project is a joint project
bringing together the United States Army
Corps of Engineers, Rijkswaterstaat and
Deltares. It combines scientific methods
such as ‘decision scaling’ and ‘adaptation
paths’ in a single guide that can help
water managers and contractors to
enhance the future robustness of water
management and investments in
infrastructure.
MANAGING THE URBAN
SUBSURFACE BETTER
TOGETHER
The subsurface provides more than just
room for cellars: take the opportunities
for water storage or thermal energy,
for example. Subsurface space is used
to the detriment of other functions
in numerous projects in urban areas.
Opportunities are missed and damage
actually results in some cases. The City of
Rotterdam, City of Utrecht, the Ministry
of Infrastructure and the Environment,
Rijkswaterstaat, Witteveen + Bos and
Deltares teamed up to develop the
‘Subsurface asset management’ method.
This is a phased approach for the optimal
use and preservation, in conjunction,
of the subsurface in urban areas so
that investments are as effective and
sustainable as possible. Actual examples
from the cities of Rotterdam and Utrecht
serve as test cases.
PHOTO: ADOBESTOCK
FORECASTING
TYPHOONS
NEAR THAILAND
DELTARES
IN BRIEF
DELTARES, SEPTEMBER 2016
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