Hydroinformatics is a branch of

informatics Informatics is the study of computational systems, especially those for data storage and retrieval. According to ACM ''Europe and'' '' Informatics Europe'', informatics is synonymous with computer science and computing as a profession, in which t ...

which concentrates on the application of

information and communications technologies Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computers, ...

(ICTs) in addressing the increasingly serious problems of the equitable and efficient use of

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

for many different purposes. Growing out of the earlier discipline of computational hydraulics, the numerical

simulation A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of Conceptual model, models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or proc ...

of water flows and related processes remains a mainstay of hydroinformatics, which encourages a focus not only on the technology but on its application in a social context. On the technical side, in addition to computational hydraulics, hydroinformatics has a strong interest in the use of techniques originating in the so-called

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech ...

community, such as

artificial neural networks Artificial neural networks (ANNs), usually simply called neural networks (NNs) or neural nets, are computing systems inspired by the biological neural networks that constitute animal brains. An ANN is based on a collection of connected units ...

or recently

support vector machines In machine learning, support vector machines (SVMs, also support vector networks) are supervised learning models with associated learning algorithms that analyze data for classification and regression analysis. Developed at AT&T Bell Laboratori ...

and

genetic programming In artificial intelligence, genetic programming (GP) is a technique of evolving programs, starting from a population of unfit (usually random) programs, fit for a particular task by applying operations analogous to natural genetic processes to t ...

. These might be used with large collections of observed data for the purpose of data mining for knowledge discovery, or with data generated from an existing, physically based model in order to generate a computationally efficient emulator of that model for some purpose. Hydroinformatics recognises the inherently social nature of the problems of water management and of decision-making processes, and strives to understand the social processes by which technologies are brought into use. Since the problems of water management are most severe in the majority world, while the resources to obtain and develop technological solutions are concentrated in the hands of the minority, the need to examine these social processes are particularly acute. Hydroinformatics draws on and integrates

hydraulics Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counte ...

hydrology Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is call ...

environmental engineering Environmental engineering is a professional engineering discipline that encompasses broad scientific topics like chemistry, biology, ecology, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, microbiology, and mathematics to create solutions that will protect and ...

and many other disciplines. It sees application at all points in the

water cycle The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle, is a biogeochemical cycle that describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. The mass of water on Earth remains fairly co ...

from atmosphere to ocean, and in artificial interventions in that cycle such as urban drainage and water supply systems. It provides support for decision making at all levels from governance and policy through management to operations. Hydroinformatics has a growing world-wide community of researchers and practitioners, and postgraduate programmes in Hydroinformatics are offered by many leading institutions. The Journal of Hydroinformatics provides a specific outlet for Hydroinformatics research, and the community gathers to exchange ideas at the biennial conferences. These activities are coordinated by the joint IAHR,

IWA IWA may refer to: Organizations International * International Water Association * International Webmasters Association * International Woodworkers of America, United States and Canada * International Workers Association, an anarcho-syndicalist fed ...

, IAHSIAHS-AISH
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Hydroinformatics Section
There is a growing need for professionals and managers to appreciate and work with these new technologies and tools.

References

External links

Hydroinformatics Lab at Brigham Young UniversityHydroinformatics Lab at the University of Iowa - Research and Community Platform.IHE Delft MSc / PhD in Hydroinformatics.EuroAquae - European master course of Hydroinformatics and Water Management.Hydroinformatics MSc at Newcastle University.The Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) Hydrologic Information System.
{{Informatics Environmental engineering Hydrology Information science by discipline Computational fields of study