A WebGIS-based system for rainfall-runoff prediction and real-time water resources assessment for Beijing

A WebGIS-based system designed to predict rainfall-runoff and assess real-time water resources for Beijing was developed to provide support for scientific decision making regarding solving water shortages while effectively reducing urban flood threats in the city. The system adopts a Browse Server (B/S) structure and combines the distributed hydrologic modeling and WebGIS techniques. For this system, a distributed hydrologic model of Beijing that adopts a grid cell-size of 1 km by I km and covers the city's entire area of 16,400 km(2) was developed and validated. This model employs a simple, yet practical rainfall-runoff correlation curve method to predict runoff, as well as prediction approaches for rainfall, evaporation, subsurface runoff and recharge to groundwater. In addition, a framework for the assessment of real-time water resources assessment based on hydrologic monitoring stations and the distributed model was established. Finally, a WebGIS-based system for rainfall-runoff prediction and real-time water resources assessment for Beijing was developed by integrating a data platform, the professional models and the WebGIS techniques. This system was successfully integrated into the hydrologic prediction practices of the General Station of Hydrology, Bureau of Beijing Water Affairs in 2005, and the demonstration version of the system can be seen on the Web at http://123.127.143.23/enewRF/login/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fenewRF%2ftemp.aspx. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.