Dr. Julien Harou

Company:

HydroPlatform

Water Management Software

HydroPlatform

An Open-Source Software Platform for Water Resource Management Models

“HydroPlatform is about harnessing the contributions of water management researchers worldwide and putting their innovations to work on real problems to promote sustainable and efficient water use.”

—Julien Harou, Founder, HydroPlatform

Background

Sustainable water management is a complex challenge that involves integrated engineered (water supply), natural (hydrology & ecology) and human (economic, social, political) systems, and huge quantities of data. While computer-based mathematical models can help represent how these different pieces work together, such models are only widely applicable if combined with user interaction and data management software.

The Problem

Water managers need models to manage water effectively. In the past, each model developer had to recreate their own user-interface and data management software. Because software development is often prohibitively expensive, many innovative models that could make an impact on sustainable water use never transition from research into real-world application. This barrier to entry has resulted in only a handful of actively maintained professional-grade water management decision support systems.

“Many helpful water management models are published every year. A generic shared interface and web repository could make these models widely applicable and available.”

—Julien Harou, Founder, HydroPlatform

The Innovation

In 2008, an international group of engineers, economists, and ecologists began work on HydroPlatform, an open-source user-interface designed to facilitate the building, using, and sharing of water resource management models. HydroPlatform features a professional-grade data management and spatial visualization software system allowing water planners to manage model input data and analyze and visualize results.

HydroPlatform is a model platform; existing models can connect to it. Water management models represent water resource systems as a network (nodes represent reservoirs, aquifers, treatment plants, etc., and links represent rivers, canals, pipelines, etc.). Different models have unique sets of nodes and links with unique data requirements. Using object-oriented methods, HydroPlatform builds a custom database specific to each model. Custom icons are linked on a geographical background image to draw the network. User-defined functions further link the model to the platform.

The Vision

The goal of HydroPlatform is to allow water managers to focus on improving models and adapting them to local conditions rather than designing software. Armed with a ‘plug and play’ interface, developers can transform a research model into a powerful application ready for real-world modeling of complex systems. Making it easier to build water management decision support tools will catalyze innovation and increase demand for advanced water resource planning methods.

The HydroPlatform website aims to become an online portal (similar to an iPhone App store) giving access to open-source, freeware, or commercial models that connect to HydroPlatform. This will allow water managers and researchers in developing and developed countries to access state-of-the-art research models within a common user-friendly interface.

Acceleration

Phase I (in final testing) enabled data entry, organization, and export to models. IRAS, a generalized water resource simulation model developed at Cornell University, and several hydro-economic optimization models have been successfully connected to HydroPlatform. Phase II will allow importing, managing and viewing model results. Phase II is ready for implementation pending funding. HydroPlatform will succeed if it attracts researchers, government institutions and companies into a dynamic user/developer community. An excellent product, compelling publications, and a resourceful website will help reach HydroPlatform's goal of enabling sustainable local water resource solutions at a global level.