Digitalisation | Empowering visualisation


Sanchit Minocha, Pritam Das and Faisal Hossain from the University of Washington in the US give an insight into reimaging dams as transit hubs for the world’s water through interactive visualisation


Author details


The authors are Sanchit Minocha, Pritam Das and Faisal Hossain from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, US.


Acknowledgments


This work was borne out of a graduate course at the University of Washington, “CSE-512 Data Visualisation” taken by the first author (Minocha) during Spring quarter of 2024. Gratitude is expressed to peers Alyx Peiyao Xiao and Peihsin Wang for their support and assistance in this project.


Research Material Statements: URL of the repository containing raw and processed data, observable notebook and python codes: https://osf.io/e7h8k/?view_ only=8a9b1d3415de42f19b9853 316a3003f4


IN TODAY’S WORLD, THERE are many similarities between dams that impound surface water and airports that represent aviation hubs or transit points for travel. A dam on a river receives surface water often from a dam or a set of dams located in the upstream region of the basin. As with any airport, there are many flights from other locations that fly to that airport. In other words, any disruption in the operation and structural integrity of those upstream dams will eventually disrupt the dam in question, just like airport operations that are affected when arrival flights are delayed or cancelled. Conversely, a dam ‘serves’ or ‘regulates’ surface water to several dams in the downstream region of the same river basin just like an airport with flights departing to several destinations. When looked at holistically, a single dam can be considered a transit hub of surface water drawing water from a vast region regulated by other dams just like a major airport. A single dam may also be a transit point for surface water before it flows into a major reservoir storage or redistribution for a variety of purposes such as hydropower, recreation (water sports, fish gaming) or irrigation.


Similarity to aviation industry But what is the value of reimagining dams as transit hubs


of surface water similar to the aviation industry? We argue here that such a perspective offers several benefits. By adopting this approach, we can enhance our ability


Below: Figure 1. World map of major aviation hubs as network of airports showing direct flight connections by edges [20]


to adapt to climate change, ensuring a safer and more resilient supply of critical resources such as energy, food, and water that depend on dams. For any given dam, if we identify the set of upstream dams that regulate the surface water flowing into it, then we can immediately delineate a “boundary of influence” for that specific dam. If any of these dams in the upstream suffer


extreme events such as drought, catastrophic floods (overtopping embankments), or even a dam break,


we can develop plans and protocols to prepare the dam in question accordingly, to minimise operational disruptions and maintain safety, especially if the dam is classified as high hazard (i.e. located upstream of a major population center). For example, consider the scenario of a major contaminant leak through the spillway of one of the upstream dams that needs to be contained for public safety. Knowing the “boundary of influence” allows us to pinpoint the contaminant pathway and potential time taken to reach the dam in question that may be a vital regulation point for supplying drinking water for the public. Similarly, by identifying the downstream dams that


are directly affected by the operation or structural integrity of the dam in question, we can establish a corresponding “boundary of influence”. In this case, the operator of the dam in question gets to know which specific dams require coordination or engagement to ensure optimal water allocation and that the overall objectives of water management meet the needs of the local population. Alternately, the dam can choose to change its operating policy to aid the downstream dam in need of more water or flood protection. A good example of this occurred in 2016 when an


upstream dam in China released more water than its normal operating policy to assist a downstream dam in Vietnam on the Red River to mitigate a drought [1,2]


.


In contrast, one of the upstream dams in the upper Mekong River basin in China reportedly reduced the water release by half, in July 2019, resulting in lower- than-usual level of water in the Mekong delta [3]


.


Many studies show that release of additional water could have helped the lower Mekong delta region in Vietnam cope with the drought and even would have helped reducing salinity in the freshwater [4, 5 and 6]


Recently it has been claimed that even in contentious and highly dammed river basins such as the Blue Nile [7]


or Tigris Euphrates, countries actually benefit


more if such upstream and downstream coordination between a network of dams is carried out at tactical scales [8]


.


. Even for successful upstream fish migration, implementing optimal and harmonised operating rules across dams can be highly effective [9 and 10]


It’s time to empower the world with software to visualise dams globally, using affordable, open-source, and open-science tools, and help reimagine them as transit hubs. This visualisation can have numerous benefits for management of key livelihood resources that dams control – energy (hydropower), food (from irrigation projects) and drinking water – while supporting the development of more robust policies to adapt to environmental extremes driven by climate change. Such a tool can also have educational value in teaching surface water management and environmental stewardship of natural resources in the


26 | November 2024 | www.waterpowermagazine.com


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