Spain is being particularly hard-hit by global warming and its consequences such as recurring droughts, extreme weather, and desertification. From olive oil cultivators, of which the country is the world’s leading exporter, to sprawling vineyards, all are bearing the ecological brunt of global warming, leading to steep decline in productivity and economic loss.
Though there are technology interventions and solutions to offset some of the damages, the key lies in precise tracking, monitoring, modelling, and then deciding upon a viable course of action.
This is why Digital Twin – a virtual 3D representation of a physical terrain – comes handy. Countries from Tuvalu in Polynesia, to Grenada in the Caribbean, and from Singapore to Greece, are racing to build a National Digital Twin. It helps in better planning, decision-making, identifying gaps, and coming up with sustainable solutions to challenging issues.
Initiative Espanol
Madrid-based TRAGSATEC, a state-owned tech company established in 1989, develops innovative engineering solutions. It has picked up Hexagon to build the country’s first Digital Twin that can aid environmental protection efforts in the Campo de Cartagena region. The 3D virtual model will inform decision-makers about the environmental issues that need immediate attention.
Furthermore, the country’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) will be able to compare and detect changes in water and vegetation using digital simulations. This will help in climate change mitigation efforts, boost disaster management, and help tackle pollution and other issues detrimental to the environment.
The Digital Twin is built on Hexagon’s Luciad platform. It is expected to be complete by the end of 2023, enabling collation, management, 3D visualization and analysis of huge volumes of datasets related to the areas around Menor Sea.
“By visualizing and analyzing data, we can determine areas of concern and mitigation options to improve the health of the local environment and population”, says Sergio Molina Blazquez, Head, Photogrammetry and Topography Department, TRAGSATEC.
He further adds that Hexagon’s Digital Twin will help track and model the impact of urban growth, industry and agriculture on the Menor Sea basin.
“With a digital twin, cities can model mitigation efforts, such as understanding the impact of re-naturization to prevent flooding from strong rain events or determining how a new modal mix in the transportation sector can help minimize the carbon footprint”, says Uwe Jasnoch, Director, Government and Transportation, EMEA, Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial Division.
Enabling Decision-Makers
Municipal authorities, local governments, decision-makers, and on-ground first responders are all able to gain better actionable insights and pinpoint the exact coordinates of hotspots with the help of a digital twin. It enables an eco-friendly and collaborative operational approach, nullifying redundancies.
“Digital Twin breaks up the different data silos which typically exist in municipalities. This gives planners a chance to see and learn (such as through simulations) how a decision in a certain department affects other elements of city management”, says Jasnoch.
As an example, he cites that ‘maximizing the conversion of sealed surfaces to green spaces might be excellent in fighting flooding and temperature, but it may negatively impact the transportation system’.
“To be eco-friendly and operationally functioning, different aspects of specific use cases need to be balanced and weighted across city departments. This is the key advantage of Digital Twins”, he adds.
Expanding Footprint
Best part about a successful technology use-case is that it can be extended to other areas beset by similar issues. The threat of global warming and ecological degradation looms large not just over large parts of Spain, but the entire world.
“TRAGSATEC’s forward-thinking use of digital twin technology for environmental protection of the Menor Sea area can be replicated across Spain”, says Mladen Stojic, President, Government, Transportation and Defense, Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division.
Many other areas also stand to benefit. In the Swiss Canton of Zug, known as the country’s hockey town, Hexagon has completed data acquisition and processing for the Digital Twin. The implementation is to commence soon.
