Loxley-AGT offers flood simulations

In a move to overcome tough competition for the Bt350 billion water-and-flood management infrastructure, the Loxley-AGT consortium has come up with a unique solution, which was demonstrated at a special session for the media and other officials recently.

The company first introduced the system, called ReadyMIND, at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Chiang Mai last month.

The ReadyMIND platform comprises a five-layered system that monitors, simulates and predicts floods and droughts, Loxley Public Co Ltd’s senior consultant and special project Dr Ammarin Daranpob explained.

The Loxley-AGT consortium is one of the  bidders who have submitted their proposal for modules A6 and B4 worth Bt4 billion. There are nine modules for the water-and-flood management project and winning bids for each module should be announced next week.

In the ReadyMIND system, the first layer will collect real-time data such as weather, actual rain and water levels using sensors as well as information from the operational system and the Net.

For the second layer, a national data centre will be established to gather local water and weather-related information from different sources and in different formats, which will be aggregated and standardised into one integrated national data warehouse, providing all the necessary information needed for analysis, modelling and forecasting. 

The third layer will focus on advanced modelling and simulation to help cut the impact of disasters by predicting how real situations will unfold. It also helps with accurate evaluations by running “what-if” scenarios, recommending preventive measures, the allocation of limited resources as well as highlighting ways of optimising the operation of infrastructure such as gates and pumps that could potentially cut down on flooding considerably. This layer supports planning and preparation during routine operations, as well as real-time emergency response during floods.

In the fourth layer, the ReadyMIND creates a comprehensive situational awareness picture that integrates weather information, tele-metry data and CCTV video as well as equipment status, system status, emergency resources, operational plans, events and alerts in real time at multiple levels across the country. This information is then displayed on a geographic information system map.

The last layer facilitates cross-agency collaboration, decision making and information dissemination ensuring the development of a coordinated, national response strategy and multi-tier water resources and crisis management.

According to Ammarin, these systems have already been implemented in several other countries such as the Netherlands and China to manage their water resources and reduce the impact of floods. 

“We expect to win this module as we are confident that our solution will solve the country’s flooding problems,” Loxley’s senior executive vice president Suroj Lamsam said. He said he believes that the government will not cancel this bidding even if there is strong opposition for other modules like dams and floodways.