‘SIMDELTA GLOBAL’- TOWARDS A STANDARDISED INTERACTIVE MODEL FOR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The research project ‘SimDelta’ builds on novel internet technology to support the
development of the Rhine-Meuse delta water infrastructure. It has three goals: education,
organisation of research and design studies, and stakeholder polling. A current question is
how the SimDelta technology could be made transferable to systems outside Europe, such as
in California, Shanghai, Thailand and Indonesia. Fundamentally, all water systems are
similar. Technically they differ in scale, geometry, resolution and functional emphasis, but
system boundaries can be standardised. It is essential that SimDelta graphically
acknowledges different data quality levels, to allow for standardisation and piecemeal
development. Political coordination of infrastructure improvements appears to be difficult
everywhere. Since SimDelta aims to clarify connections between high and low scale levels, it
is expected to benefit the development of any water system. However, strategically it is
recommended to start with the California system, for reasons of scientific maturity and
political openness.