Linking Numerical Water Quality Models in an Environmental Information System for Integrated Environmental Assessments

Abstract

Decision makers involved in prevention of water contamination often lack the technical knowledge of water quality evaluation or the comprehension of complex software for environmental information management required to make effective decisions. Providing information about the environment is not an easy task due to its complex structure, relationships, and dynamic processes. Because environmental models play an important role in environmental decision support systems, the integration of models into user-friendly integrated information systems is a key factor in the support of such users. This paper presents an environmental information system which supports water protection of Coatzacoalcos River in Mexico, having as a main building block water quality assessments supported by mathematical modeling through the two-dimensional Saint Venant and Advection-Diffusion-Reaction equations to calculate the river hydrodynamics and the contaminant transport, respectively. The mathematical modeling solution yields appropriate results representing the river contaminant distribution when compared with field measurements. But the direct use of these models by decision makers is difficult at best, meaning they are not likely to be used in making practical decisions. The system described in this paper integrates these models, and several other tools, into a seamless, user-centered application, improving model usability, initial configuration, and results visualization.

Hydrodynamics modelling utilizing the EFDC Explorer model for the sustainable management of Canal del Dique-Guajaro hydrosystem, Colombia

“…Currently, there is widespread concern in relation to global environmental degradation. Phenomena such as global warming, caused mainly by industrial development and unsustainable population growth, makes it vital to have tools that help us to understand these phenomena and evaluate scenarios in case of emergency events, in order to take effectively accurate decisions, attached to reality [1].…”

Developing Ontology Systems as a Base of an Environmental Quality Management Model in México

“…While ontologies have been developed that serve to integrate databases that generate environmental information based on study areas and methods for environmental impact assessment and management of wastewater lines, etc. [1] [3] [4]; in Mexico there have been not developed. These ontologies based on environmental information, can be used for the management of environmental systems and their application in environmental policy tools lines.…”