Abstract
This paper aims at presenting the open source and public domain FREEWAT platform capabilities for water resource management, including: (i) pre-processing modules to facilitate the preparation of input data, (ii) modelling tools for the analysis of several processes aimed at supporting water resource management, and (iii) post-processing tools to present results.The FREEWAT platform is based on open source solutions to perform an integrated coupling between the QGIS desktop software, surface and subsurface model engines, mostly based on fully distributed and numerically-based codes developed by the USGS, and other software applications, and the SpatiaLite spatial database. The development of the FREEWAT platform was supported by the main needs and priorities expressed by relevant stakeholders from the water sector involved in the early stage of the project.Extensive testing on the platform is still going on and training material and six User Manuals were prepared to disseminate its use as a standard software for managing surface/sub-surface water quantity and quality dynamics under demand-driven and supply-constrained conditions. The testing phase also includes demonstration of the platform capabilities on 14 case studies at European scale and beyond, to address specific water management issues. Nine of them are devoted to the application of EU water-related Directives, while the others address water management issues in the rural environment under the requirements of EU and/or national/local regulations. Beyond software testing, this demonstration is thought as an experiment on involving stakeholders in the formation of water plans yet during the technical phase of the analysis.
Highlights
Simulation techniques along with tools for geospatial data analysis may contribute to proper management of widespread conjunctive use of surface- and ground-water resources, to avoid conflicts among different users and maintenance of agro-ecosystems (Rossetto et al, 2013)
FREEWAT (FREE and open source software tools for WATer resource management; Rossetto et al, 2015) is a EU HORIZON 2020 project aiming at promoting the application of EU water-related Directives by: i) developing a dedicated free and open-source platform GIS-integrated solution for planning and management of surface- and ground-water resources, ii) performing extensive capacity building activities, and iii) applying the developed platform to 14 case studies along with a dedicated participatory approach
The development of the FREEWAT platform was supported by the result of a survey performed in the first phase of the project to draw up an evaluation grid for modules to be integrated in the developing FREEWAT platform, by intersecting needs/priorities related to water management issues and availability of software tools to address such issues
Summary
Simulation techniques along with tools for geospatial data analysis may contribute to proper management of widespread conjunctive use of surface- and ground-water resources, to avoid conflicts among different users and maintenance of agro-ecosystems (Rossetto et al, 2013). FREEWAT (FREE and open source software tools for WATer resource management; Rossetto et al, 2015) is a EU HORIZON 2020 project aiming at promoting the application of EU water-related Directives by: i) developing a dedicated free and open-source platform GIS-integrated solution for planning and management of surface- and ground-water resources, ii) performing extensive capacity building activities, and iii) applying the developed platform to 14 case studies along with a dedicated participatory approach. The development of the FREEWAT platform was supported by the result of a survey performed in the first phase of the project to draw up an evaluation grid for modules to be integrated in the developing FREEWAT platform, by intersecting needs/priorities related to water management issues and availability of software tools to address such issues. Priorities were addressed during the development phase of the FREEWAT platform
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