VIZIER: Automated emergency playbook

Introduction

When high water or other water emergencies are approaching, swift and well-coordinated action is essential. VIZIER supports water managers with an automated emergency playbook that translates current data into concrete actions, so that risks are limited in time.

  • Duration: 2021–present
  • Clients: Rivierenland, Aa en Maas and Limburg Water Boards
  • Keywords: water emergency, water safety, crisis management, emergency playbook, operational water management
  • Partners: ESRI, Spacewell
  • Models & Tools: VIZIER, ESRI, Axxerion

Background

Emergency

In the event of extreme rainfall, high water, drought or water quality incidents, water managers have to switch gears quickly. In practice, this means working with multiple data sources, complex decision-making under time pressure and coordinating different teams and measures. Traditional emergency playbooks offer guidance, but are often manual, static and difficult to keep up to date. Water managers were therefore looking for a digital solution that moves along with the current situation.

Method

Automated playbook

HydroLogic developed VIZIER as an automated emergency playbook that links real-time water data and forecasts to pre-configured playbooks. The system continuously assesses the current and expected situation per location and automatically triggers actions and notifications when threshold values are exceeded.

VIZIER works in an object-oriented way: actions are, for example, linked to specific dikes, hydraulic structures and measuring points. Users get an overview of tasks per role and location, such as closing flood gates or deploying dike watch teams. In addition, VIZIER makes it possible to practise and simulate emergency scenarios, so that processes can be improved without there being a real emergency.

More about our method

The result

Well prepared

With VIZIER, water managers have a single, central and up-to-date overview during (imminent) water emergencies. The system supports timely escalation, targeted implementation of measures and good coordination between the teams involved. As a result, water managers can make faster and better-founded decisions and respond more adequately to changing circumstances.

What did the project deliver?

  • Automated emergency playbook for water management
  • Real-time insight into current and expected situations
  • Object-oriented actions and tasks per location
  • Deployable in cases of high water, water nuisance, drought and water quality incidents
"With VIZIER, we translate data and playbooks into concrete actions, turning insight and overview into responsible and traceable action."
Bram Schnitzler | project lead
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