Development of a Digital Twin for the Muriaé river watershed/Brazil

Abstract

Environmental disasters, such as floods, are occurring more frequently in various cities, posing a challenge to public managers and the population. Representing the hydrological cycle through Digital Twin technology is a way to contribute to the decision making process of public authorities in disaster risk reduction measures. By exploring hypothetical scenarios, strategies for mitigating problems and environmental and social impacts that can be avoided, neutralized, or reduced can be devised. The aim of this study is to detail the calibration and validation process of a Digital Twin applied to the Muriaé river watershed. Simulations were performed using the MOHID platform. The methodology for evaluating the results included analysis of hydrographs and statistical metrics. This analysis allowed to find out that combining data from two sources yielded better results for model validation by more accurately representing the flow of the modeled channel compared to observed data from river gauging stations.