Hydroinformatics Tools - 2024 entry

Hydroinformatics (or water informatics) can be seen as a synergetic use of modelling tools and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within a single methodological approach dealing with physical, social and economic aspects of sustainable water management. This interdisciplinary field, which transcends traditional boundaries of water/environmental science and engineering and informatics/computer science (including artificial intelligence, data analytics and optimisation techniques), has applications in various areas of water management, including:
- development and application of decision support systems, simulation and optimisation models to develop near-optimal system design options, operation policies and maintenance strategies.

- use of computational and data analytics techniques to improve our understanding of complex water and environmental engineering systems;

- managing risks and uncertainties in water management associated with climate change, urbanisation and infrastructure ageing;

- implementing complex system approaches to capture system interdependency and cascaded impacts of natural hazards and system failures;

- development of sustainable and resilient water systems considering technical, socio-economic and environmental issues .

On this module, you will improve your understanding of data analytics, artificial intelligence and modelling technologies with a view of integrating them into a systems approach to tackle complex real-world water management problems (e.g., water resources, urban drainage, urban wastewater and flood management) and develop effective engineered solutions.

By the end of this module, you should have a strong grasp of a number of hydroinformatics tools and be able to select and apply appropriate analytical methods to model and optimise various water systems, as well as present your findings making sure the content is accurate and in a way that is new, updated and technologically advanced. 

This module aims to give you an advanced understanding of a number of data analytics and artificial intelligence technologies and their application to water management problems. It also offers practical experience in using these technologies within the urban water management context.

This module covers the topics of data analytics, water systems modelling and optimisation methods, using a problem-based learning approach in the case studies, and examining them through tutorials and assignments. You will develop independent learning skills through a combination of guided learning, background reading, private study and computational analysis.

 

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1. Develop water system modelling and system analysis skills to solve complex water management problems.
2. Develop data analytics and artificial intelligence techniques to improve the understanding of water systems and development of effective engineering solutions.

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

3. Select and apply appropriate computational and analytical techniques to model complex problems, discussing the limitations of the techniques employed. (M3)

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge:

4. Analyse data and complex problems to support engineering solution development, including use of data to extract knowledge to support informed decisions.

 

Systems approach to formulate water management problems and develop engineered solutions;

Classical and intelligent optimisation strategies – linear programming and evolutionary computing;

Data analytics and artificial intelligence methods – linear regression, artificial neural networks, Bayesian belief networks;

Geographic Information System;

Cellular automata methods;

System dynamics modelling;

Application examples in water management: complex water network design, asset management, flood management.