Open Source Community flood model

Please help us finish a free and open source community flood model.

Flood hazards are one of the most common and problematic hazards in urban environments. These hazards can only be mitigated if they can be better understood and that requires sophisticated modelling software.

Models exist but are either not up to the task or prohibitively expensive. Also, because there is no readily available model available, flood studies tend to provide information conflicting with each other and that makes good decision making virtually impossible.

The Australian National University (ANU) and Geoscience Australia (GA) have developed a Free and Open Source hydrodynamic model called ANUGA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANUGA_Hydro). It was originally used for tsunami impact modelling but is now widely recognised as suitable for urban flood modelling. In particular, if have data about rainfall patterns and terrain it will realistically model the resulting water flow.

However, to be fully functional the model has the need to be equipped with the capability to include underground pipe networks to simulate the urban stormwater infrastructure more accurately. One such open source model is called Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) developed by the US EPA (https://www.epa.gov/water-research/storm-water-management-model-swmm).

This cause is to fund the coupling of these two models into a fully fledged urban flood model which will then be freely released to the public as open source. This will make it available for use to all who may need it, to keep their communities well informed and safe from harm.

We will pass the funding raised onto the Mathematical Sciences Institute at the ANU where it will be pay for a post doctoral fellow to work on the model coupling.

The task to develop the coupling of ANUGA with SWMM open source tool further is estimated to cost in the order of $50,000, and this crowd funding appeal seeks to raise these funds in order to provide the community with a strong, reliable, free and open source flood modelling software. Further, there are many benefits also internationally e.g. to developing countries in the availability of this software. There is a current PhD project looking into the magnitude of saving this could bring about.

By making even a small contribution you can help realise the vision for a world class free and open source community flood model.

We developed a flyer for this initiative which is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LnJ6kwA-TTuBZDeNlgDxkWY0DEGPvKNs/view?usp=sharing
More details available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rp9RKT8HyofmliDJCqPTGUJcI1rfqBU8ok8CiglUicw