Construction and evaluation of a digital twin water management “four-pre” system for mountain-plain transition zones at district and county levels

Abstract

[Objective] Digital twin technology has demonstrated significant application and practical value in large river basins and specific point-based projects. However, numerous challenges remain in implementing the “four-pre”(forecasting, early warning, rehearsal, and contingency plan) system for water conservancy facilities at the district and county levels. It is of great significance to address key challenges such as complex geospatial data, fragmented mathematical models, and slow cross-level scheduling in the digital twin “four-pre” system at the district and county levels. [Methods]Huairou District, Beijing, was selected as the study area. A differentiated monitoring and perception system was established across the entire district, built upon a three-tier architecture comprising an infrastructure layer, a digital twin platform layer, and a smart application layer. The system was designed by integrating the characteristics of district-level water management, the current status of informatization, and the geospatial characteristics of mountain-plain transition zones. A lightweight algorithm for large-scale multi-source data fusion was proposed. In view of the collaborative needs of multiple departments and levels within the district water authority, an application framework was established for cross-level joint scheduling and consultation. To evaluate the practical effectiveness of the research framework, model loading tests, analytic hierarchy process(AHP), and scenario analysis were used for quantitative evaluation of framework effectiveness. [Results] The result showed that the lightweight algorithm significantly optimized model size, reducing the rendering load by approximately 83%. Through the use of encapsulated hydrological model libraries and collaborative applications, the comprehensive “four-pre” capabilities of flood disaster prevention and mitigation in Huairou District were theoretically improved by about 70%. [Conclusion] The findings indicate that the platform can improve precise perception, intelligent simulation accuracy, and collaborative scheduling effectiveness of water conservancy facilities in Huairou District. This approach is applicable for administrative units at the district and county levels with complex geographical environments, numerous water conservancy facilities and multi-level cross-departmental management collaboration, thereby providing a reference for similar cases nationwide.

Keywords

flood disasters / geospatial data / cross-level joint scheduling / “four-pre” capability evaluation / analytic hierarchy process / digital twin / hydraulic engineering / mountain-plain transition zone