Real-Time Geospatial Data Handling and Forecasting: Examples From Delft-FEWS Forecasting Platform/System

Environmental research that involves assessment of climate impact or extreme events like drought, floods, or other risks often requires the combination of geospatial data, distributed models, and weather forecast products. The Delft-FEWS forecasting platform, used by operational flood warning organizations around the world, offers the opportunity to carry out this type of research within a state-of-the-art forecasting environment. This paper shows opportunities Delft-FEWS offers in dealing with geospatial data like satellite measurements, weather, and climate forecasts. It also shows that Delft-FEWS offers the possibility to include distributed hydrological models using an embedded version of PCRASTER. This is illustrated by two case studies that combine different geospatial data, satellite data, and AOGCM climate data, with two different types of models, a groundwater model and a global hydrological model, within the Delft-FEWS system.