Map environment for sharing weather and water information in Altena
The aim of the Dutch demo case Citizen Observatory (CO) Grip op water Altena is to reduce the pluvial flooding caused by incidental extreme precipitation events.
One of the objectives to reach this goal is sharing information about the water system between stakeholders. The online platform of the CO provides a map environment that facilitates data exchange. The map environment has been created by demo case leader HydroLogic using Esri Story Maps, combined with Esri Survey123 to integrate data collection by citizens and organisations.
Through the map environment, many types of information exchange can take place. A few examples:
- The water board provides general information about the water system in the Altena region. This improves the geographical knowledge of citizens about the water around their homes.
- Citizens observe something abnormal related to water in their neighbourhood. They can send in a report that is directly added as a pin on a map showing all observations. This map can be used by authorities like the municipality and the water board to identify bottle necks in the water system.
- HydroLogic shares the spatial distribution of the precipitation fallen in the past three days. Especially after extreme weather events, the pattern is of interest to many users.
- The water board gives insight in the actual water levels at their observation points in Altena. Local farmers use this information to decide when conditions on their land are best for performing farming activities.
- Stakeholders share the measures they have taken to increase the water storage capacity in and around their property. Citizens can inspire each other and measures taken by the municipality and water board get more visibility.
By providing this visually attractive environment, Grip op water Altena offers a place where information about water in Altena is collected and shared. The information is expected to contribute to increased water awareness among the citizens in Altena, centralized information sharing in extreme situations and improved communication between stakeholders.
