K-water Focus ① : Water, Nature and Humankind

K-water Focus ①
K-water’s leading smart water management system
Dam-Stream Digital Twin Demonstration
Korea is no exception in experiencing the effects of climate change including droughts and floods. In response to climate change, K-water has developed a digital twin-based smart water management system to ensure the water safety of the Korean people.
Written by Choi Haeng-jwa Photos by K-water

Digital Twin Platform

K-water held a demonstration of Dam-Stream Digital Twin, its digital water management platform that is also known as Digital GARAM+, on August 11, 2022. Attended by Minister of Environment Han Wha-jin, CEO of K-water Park Jae-hyeon and Director-General Shin Jin-su of the Ministry of Environment’s Water Management Policy Office, the demonstration presented the latest technology-based dam-stream digital twin system including the flood control mechanism of multi-purpose dams across the country, i.e., how to release water in response to the recent torrential downpours.
Digital twin is a technology that uses real-world data to create a digital simulation in virtual space. The dam-stream digital twin system can simulate the effects of floods of the entire basins in the real world and the 3D virtual world. K-water has been test-operating the digital twin system it has created at the Seomjingang River basin since this year. In connection with the dam-stream digital twin, the Ministry of Environment plans to expand the digital twin water management platform project to five major rivers-Hangang River, Nakdonggang River, Geumgang River, Yeongsangang River, and Seomjinggang River-by 2026.
Minister of Environment Han Wha-jin said, “Once the dam-stream digital twin system is completed, floods can be simulated in 3D virtual spaces based on big data and AI, and we are going to use the data obtained from the simulations to make decisions on the optimized operation of dams and streams in the event of a flood.”

K-water makes Korea a safe place
by leading smart water management
based on digital twin technology
in response to climate change.

Transition to a digital water management system

K-water leads the transition to a digital water management system in response to climate change in order to ensure public safety. In August 2020, K-water recognized the limits of the existing water management system and embarked on the dam-stream digital twin water management platform project to overcome the limits.
The digital twin system recreates physical objects such as dams and river in the virtual world. If different inputs including weather conditions, water quality, and water gate conditions are entered, they are analyzed in simulations. Based on the analysis, changes in the water levels in dams and streams and effects such as damages are predicted. These data are used to make decisions on how to operate dams and rivers when heavy rain is expected during the flood season.
K-water CEO Jae-hyeon Park said, “K-water will help make Korea a safe place by leading smart water management based on digital twin technology in response to climate change.”

※ This interview was conducted in accordance with the COVID-19 safety rules.