[ 3 9] Hugo Nie s ing
Inte grate d wate r
manage me nt and re mo te data ac c e ss, po ssibilitie s o f a syste m base d o n te le matic s
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r e ga r d les s of en v ir on m en t a l t op ic a n d loca -t ion . T h e in for m a -t ion b ecom in g ava ila ble, r e ga r d les s of t y p e a n d for m a t , is t o b e r ela t ed t o t h e exis t in g soft w a r e.
WWWW approach
T h e m et a d a t a , w h ich a r e s t or ed in t h e RE M SSBOT CDS, a r e d iv id ed in t o fou r m a in com p on en t s, t h e Wh a t (s u b ject of in t er es t ), Wh er e (loca t ion ), Wh en a n d Wh o (d a t a ow n er ).
T h e u s er ca n n av iga t e t h r ou gh t h es e m et a -d a t a , w h ich in for m h im a b ou t t h e ava ila ble in for m a t ion , r a n gin g fr om em p ir ica l d a t a , d ocu m en t s, s ca n n ed m a p s or m et a d a t a .
T h e m et a d a t a a r e t r ee st r u ct u r ed , a llow in g t h e u s er t o n av iga t e fr om t h e b r oa d es t t er m u p t o t h e m ost d et a iled on e. T h is is in or d er t o give a u s er w h o is n ot fa m ilia r w it h t h e in for -m a t ion a n ea sy t ool t o sca n w h a t in for -m a t ion ca n b e fou n d in t h e d a t a b a se.
T h e m or e exp er ien ced u ser ca n u s e t h e a lp h a b et ic sea r ch , t y p in g t h e d es ir ed t er m s, sav in g t im e t o a ccess t h e d es ir ed in for m a -t ion . In F igu r e 1, a n exa m p le of a “Wh a -t ” sea r ch in t h e Sch eld t r e gion d em on s t r a t or is sh ow n .
The demonstrator
A p r ot ot y p e of t h e s y s t em , t h e s o-ca lled d em on s t r a t or, b ein g r ea lised a t d iffer en t p a r t icip a t in g a d m in is t r a t ion s, con t a in s t h e follow in g a p p lica t ion s:
1 A sea rch in for m a tion system (SIS) a p p lica -t ion gives b r oa d er a n d b e-t -t er a cces s in -t o a ll k in d of in for m a t ion (m ea su r ed d a t a , d ocu m en t s, m a p s, et c.) a n d fr om d iffer en t
sou r ces. T h is s y st em , clien t ser ver b a sed , gives d et a iled in for m a t ion , in t er est in g for t h e p r ofession a l w a t er m a n a ger s, wor k in g a t t h e p a r t icip a t in g a d m in ist r a t ion s. 2 A Web a p p lica tion h a s b een d evelop ed ,
w h ich h a s t h e sa m e fu n ct ion a lit y a s t h e SIS, on ly sligh t d iffer en ces occu r. T h ese d iffer en ces a r e t h e b r oa d er a ccess t ow a r d s t h e IN TE RN E T, t h e ea sy w ay of con n ect ion t o t h e IN TE RN E T. St ill t h e clien t ser ver b a sed a p p lica t ion h a s m or e fu n ct ion a lit y a n d is n ot d e p en d en t on t h e IN TE RN E T t r a ffic. T h e Web a p p lica t ion h a s d iffer en t a ccess a u t h or isa t ion a n d in for m s a ll k in d of or ga n is a t ion s a n d p u blic p la ces (lib r a r ies, u n iver s it ies, et c.) in t h e Sch eld t r e gion .
3 A GIS a p p lica tion (Sch eld t GIS) is im p le-m en t ed a s a n exa le-m p le t o sh ow w h a t k in d of p u r p os es t h e RE M SSBOT sy st em ca n ser ve. T h is a p p lica t ion is d e p en d en t on t h e m ost r ecen t m ea su r ed p a r a m et er s fr om t h e d iffer en t a d m in ist r a t ion s. Ma p s r ela t ed t o t h e ecologica l fu n ct ion in g of t h e r iver ca t ch m en t a r e gen er a t ed t h r ou gh t h is GIS a p p lica t ion .
REM SSBOT application
Con cer n in g t h e r iver Sch eld t b a sin fi ve cou n -t r ies/ r e gion s w i-t h a d iffer en -t socio-econ om ic b a ck gr ou n d a n d in s t it u t ion a l w a t er m a n a ge-m en t or ga n isa t ion a r e in volved : F r a n ce, Wa llon ia , Br u ssels, F la n d er s a n d T h e N et h er -la n d s. On e of t h e m a in iss u es a t t h e m om en t is t h e collect ion , a n a ly s is, com p a r ison , va li-d a t ion , st or a ge a n li-d a cces sib ilit y of w a t er q u a lit y m on it or in g d a t a . An exa m p le of t h e in for m a t ion cycle in Sch eld t is s h ow n in F igu r e 2.
T h e ava ila ble d a t a sh ou ld b e r e p or t ed t o t h ose w h o n eed t o u s e it for d ecision m a k in g, m a n a gem en t eva lu a t ion or in -d e p t h in vest i-ga t ion . In for m a t ion n ecessa r y for fu t u r e u se sh ou ld b e st or ed a n d t h e in for m a t ion
exch a n ge s h ou ld b e fa cilit a t ed n ot on ly a t t h e level of t h e m on it or in g b ody it self, bu t a lso a t ot h er a p p r op r ia t e levels lik e t h e r iver b a sin . For exa m p le t h e In t er n a t ion a l Com m ission on t h e p r ot ect ion of t h e r iver Sch eld t is p r e p a r in g a h om ogen eou s m on it or in g p r o-gr a m m e for t h e en t ir e r iver Sch eld t . T h is p r ogr a m m e h a s b een a p p oin t ed a s a p ilot p r oject for a w a t er q u a lit y m on it or in g p r o-gr a m m e on t h e E u r op ea n level.
Da t a s t or a ge sy st em s of r ip a r ia n cou n t r ies sh ou ld b e a ble t o h a n d le t h e a gr eed d a t a exch a n ge for m a t . For in t er n a t ion a l d a t a st or a ge p u r p oses, a cen t r a l sy st em m ay b e con sid er ed .
In t h is r esp ect , RE MSSBOT offer s a con sid -er a ble a dva n t a ge w h en , for exa m p le,
con n ect in g t h e exist in g d a t a b a ses of r ip a r ia n Figure 1
[ 4 0] Hugo Nie s ing Inte grate d wate r
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st a t es. In t h is ca s e t h er e w ill b e n o n eed for a cen t r a l d a t a b a se, w h ich is n ot on ly m or e cost -efficien t , bu t a lso a llow s t h e p a r t icip a t in g a d m in is t r a t ion s t o u se t h eir ow n d evelop ed IT sy s t em s. E ver y a u t h or is ed a d m in ist r a t ion is r esp on s ible for t h e q u a n t it y a n d q u a lit y of it s ow n d a t a a n d h a s ea sy a n d eq u it a ble a cces s t o t h e d a t a of ot h er p a r t icip a t in g a d m in is t r a t ion s.
Further reading
E TC/ CDS p r oject (1996a ), Defi n ition a n d R u les
v ers. 1.0 N ov em b er 1996 – R a p p or t u n d er Con -tra ct of th e E u r op ea n E n v ir on m en t A gen cy,
E TC/ CDS p r oject .
E TC/ CDS p r oject (1996b ), GE M E T Gen era l E u r
o-p ea n M u ltilin gu a l E n v ir on m en ta l T h esa u ru s, Vers. 0.3 S ta te 26.03.1997 – R a p p or t u n d er Con -tra ct of th e E u r op ea n E n v ir on m en t A gen cy,
E TC/ CDS p r oject .
IN TE RN E T, RE MSSBOT p r oject Web sit e, h t t p :/ / w w w.n et or.gr / r em ssb ot
Lefa s, C., Ka lp a k sid is, K., Ga llo, P., Via r en go, L., va n H a r t en , K., N ies in g, H . a n d Ga lle, M. (1996), R E M S S B OT Pr oject D05.02 Fin a l User
N eed s a n d R equ irem en ts, RE M SSBOT
p r oject .
Lieven s, E . a n d Ga llo, P. (1996), R E M S S B OT Pr
o-ject D03.02 Gu id elin es for S ystem A rch itectu re,
RE MSSBOT p r oject .
N ies in g, H ., Via r en go, L. a n d Bou r k a , A. (1997),
R E M S S B OT : A Key to E n v ir on m en ta l In for -m a tion , Pr oceed in gs of th e Con feren ce E u r op een n e su r les T ech n ologies d e l’In for m a -tion p ou r l’E n v ir on m en t – St r a sb ou r g, 10-12
Se p t em b er 1997.
Inte grate d Wate r manage me nt
Info rmatio n ne e ds
Mo nito ring ac tivitie s riparian s tate s ,
analys is , e tc .
REMSSBOT
Info rmatio n utilizatio n (mo de ls , GIS, e tc .) Figure 2
