The Yangtze River "digital twin" is revolutionizing flood management and mitigation

 The Yangtze River "digital twin" is revolutionizing flood management and mitigation along Asia's longest river. This innovative technology creates a virtual replica of the entire Yangtze River and the Three Gorges Dam, allowing for real-time monitoring, simulation, and prediction of flood events.

 

Ships pass the five-tier ship lock of the Three Gorges Project in October. WANG GANG/XINHUA

Key Features and Benefits

Real-time Monitoring: The digital twin provides instant access to critical metrics of the Three Gorges Dam, enabling continuous monitoring of dam pressure and safety.

Flood Prediction: By analyzing existing flood data in the upper reaches, the system can predict future flood trends in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze.

 

Early Warning System: The digital twin enables earlier and more accurate flood warnings, allowing for safer evacuations and more targeted flood defense measures.

Comprehensive Database: A database of 706 polders along the Yangtze has been established, along with information on the river's mainstream and dynamic flow.

3D Visualization: The system offers a three-dimensional view of flood inundation in real-time, providing a "God's-eye view" of the entire river basin.

 

Practical Applications

The digital twin has already demonstrated its effectiveness in several real-world scenarios:

Widespread Flood Warning: On July 2, 2024, the system predicted that approximately 2,430 kilometers of dikes would exceed water warning levels across five provinces.

Targeted Evacuations: In the Guiliangzhou area of Hubei province, early warnings on June 30 led to timely evacuations and proactive flood diversion measures, significantly reducing potential damage.

Rapid Response to Breaches: When a sudden breach occurred in the Tuanzhou area of Dongting Lake, the digital twin quickly generated a flood inundation risk map, enabling dynamic analysis of the impact and informing response strategies.

Dike Health Monitoring: The system facilitates regular "health checks" of the dikes, using radar technology to detect gaps and leakages. This proactive approach allows for timely reinforcement and maintenance.

 

Broader Impact

The Yangtze digital twin is part of a larger trend in water management. China has launched a Digital-Twin River Basin campaign, aiming to fully digitalize its major river basins by 2025. This approach is transforming water governance, enabling more precise, data-driven decision-making and improving resilience to climate change impacts.

By providing comprehensive, real-time data and predictive capabilities, the Yangtze digital twin is significantly enhancing flood management, reducing casualties and property losses, and contributing to more sustainable water resource management along one of the world's most important river systems.