After a severe water crisis, the city of Joinville developed a contingency plan to maintain water supply during drought conditions. Preliminary simulations produced water shortages, so the city sought a more comprehensive network study and used Bentley applications to create a digital twin and perform a hydraulic analysis of the distribution system. The new contingency plan redistributed water across two sources – Cubatão and Piraí – guaranteeing water supply during severe drought and improving overall water distribution to the city. The proposed solution required less capital investment for implementation because it could optimize flow between city sectors utilizing the existing network and remove the need for costly additional piping and pumping (saving BRL 4.5M). The solution reduced production by 30%, equivalent to 170 liters per second in the fragile Piraí water source. This mitigated the effects of drought, benefiting 150,000 area residents. It also resolved issues within the Cubatão system, reducing water loss in critical district metered areas by 40,000 cubic meters per month and water shortage complaints by 90%.

The New Bullards Bar Dam provides flood control, 340 MW of clean energy, and a reliable water supply for residents and the ecosystem. Over 50 years after its construction, extreme weather events have become more frequent and intense, increasing the risk to its structural integrity. The agency combined drone surveys and automated sensors with Bentley applications to improve inspections and obtain the level of detail that dam operator Yuba Water Agency needed. Combining IoT, 3D reality modeling, and artificial intelligence enabled survey teams to monitor the dam remotely, automatically detect tiny but growing cracks, and establish real-time, automated monitoring of the dam’s structural integrity. The new automated system provides 1,000 times more data monitoring points than the previous method, improving data accuracy by 50% and risk assessment by 100%. As a result, Yuba Water can immediately assess the dam during extreme weather events and after earthquakes to prevent disasters. Yuba Water now has renewed confidence that New Bullards Bar Dam will remain safer and more resilient in the face of climate change.

Extreme drought conditions have created water scarcity in the US West. In the Southern California Water Replenishment District (WRD) LA County, California, Bentley developed 3D models of the local water basins, creating a better understanding of groundwater flow and identifying contamination. These models helped WRD make the region more sustainable and drought resilient using local resources, including advanced treated recycled water to replenish groundwater supplies.

Geospatial data can help low-lying coastal populations make better climate change mitigation and adaptation decisions. Fugro’s coastal resilience tools and solutions provide geospatial insights that help assess the risk and prepare adaptation strategies, including nature-based solutions. Rising sea levels are causing more frequent and severe coastal flooding. Earth observation data, including satellite imagery, airborne data and ocean floor monitoring, are crucial to understanding climate risks. Governments are developing coastal resilience strategies with global and local spatial digital twins to aid planning, monitoring, and action. Vulnerable communities in small island states benefit from remote sensing-based digital twins, helping understand hydrological processes and coastal risks. Predictive analysis and recurring geodata programs inform infrastructure design and development planning for climate resilience. User-friendly access to spatial digital twins, aided by AI analytics and efficient GIS tools, facilitates better data-driven decision-making.