Against the backdrop of intensifying global climate change and water supply-demand unbalance, China's water conservancy sector is undergoing a profound transformation driven by digital technologies.
As a "smart engine" integrating next-generation information technologies with water conservancy, digital twin technology is reshaping management paradigms in core areas such as flood control, water resource allocation, and ecological governance.
By constructing a digital twin system that enables virtual-physical interaction, dynamic mapping, and intelligent decision-making, it is unlocking new possibilities for modernization.
Part ⅠDigital Twin: The "Core Breakthrough" for Water Conservancy Intelligence
The essence of digital twin technology lies in the integration of cloud computing, IoT, big data, remote sensing, simulation, and AI. It maps physical river basins into "digital twins" in cyberspace, achieving a leap from static monitoring to dynamic prediction, and from passive response to proactive intervention.
1.Comprehensive Data Governance: Building a Multi-Dimensional Data Base
Using SuperMap's data governance tools, multi-source data—including foundational data, monitoring data, geospatial data, operational data, and cross-sector data—are aggregated, processed, integrated, and applied.
This enables multi-dimensional management of water conservancy data resources throughout the whole lifecycle. Using 3D GIS technology, the data foundation featuring multiple scales and dimensions is constructed to ensure precise mapping of all water-related elements.
2. 2D/3D Integrated Simulation Engine: Accurate Mapping of Physical Scenarios
The 2D/3D simulation engine supports diverse application scenarios. It offers three modes: full 2D, full 3D, and dynamic 2D/3D switching.
It integrates five core capabilities: visualization, query, measurement, calculation, and simulation, to support water conservancy operations.
Customized operators for river cross-section analysis, channel storage calculation, terrain-based inundation analysis, and landslide dam plotting enhance professional 3D computational capabilities.
By combining GIS with high-fidelity 3D engines, it delivers seamless rendering for large and medium-scale scenarios and ultra-realistic visualization for micro-scale scenarios—"both functional and visually compelling."
3. AI-Driven Decision-Making: Empowering Intelligent Systems
2025 marks the dawn of the "AI agent era." SuperMap's Geospatial AI Agent (SuperMap Copilot) has been adapted to mainstream large AI models. It integrates over 100 geospatial intelligence operators to support complex applications.
Leveraging SuperMap Copilot + DeepSeek, the SuperMap Water Conservancy Agent significantly enhances data-driven decision-making in the sector.
Smart Knowledge Applications:
The water conservancy knowledge hub based on SuperMap water conservancy AI agent enables knowledge retrieva1, reasoning, Q&A, smart recommendation, and interactive mapping.
DeepSeek's advanced intent-understanding capabilities power AI agent application in flood control, water resource management, ecology, and safety, structuring professional knowledge into actionable insights.
AI Professional Models:
AI-based flood forecasting models synthesize historical and real-time hydrological/meteorological data to predict river flow and water levels, supporting flood response, water resource utilization, and infrastructure planning.
AI + Remote Sensing:
SuperMap's AI-powered remote sensing models analyze satellite/UAV imagery to monitor hydraulic infrastructure changes, detect river/lake violations, and generate thematic data products.
AI-video fusion further enhances tasks like water gauge recognition and intrusion detection, boosting smart supervision in watershed management.
Part Ⅱ Application Scenarios: From "Control" to "Intelligence"
Digital twin technology is unlocking value across the entire water conservancy ecosystem, enabling "innovation in one domain, synergy across all domains."
Digital twin irrigation area
1. Flood Control: From "Passive Response" to "Synergy in Four Pre's"
Traditional flood management faces challenges like delayed responses, low efficiency, resource waste, and safety risks. Modern systems now emphasize prediction, warning, pre-simulation, and pre-planning (the "Four Pre's"). By integrating digital twins and AI agent, flood risks and losses are minimized, driving intelligent, proactive disaster management.
2. Reservoir Matrix Management: From "Single-Point Control" to "Collaborative Matrix"
China's vast, aging reservoir network demands a shift toward matrix-based coordination. By adopting a "Four-Comprehensive, Four-Mechanism, Four-Pre, Four-Management" framework, digital twins and IoT technologies integrate reservoir data and models into a unified platform. This achieves end-to-end, multi-dimensional management, enhancing precision and modernization.
Reservoir Matrix
Part Ⅲ Future Outlook: From "Smart Water Conservancy" to "Digital Rivers"
1. Omni-Sensing Networks
The integrated "sky-ground-water-engineering" monitoring systems leverages IoT, drones, and smart sensors to exponentially improve data accuracy and coverage.
2. From Local to Global Twins
Cloud computing, AI models, and remote sensing enable millimeter-level precision in basin-wide digital twins. Mobile networks and edge computing helps achieve "second-level sensing, minute-level updates" for real-time iteration.
3. AI-Driven Decision Leaps
Combining large models (e.g., DeepSeek) with physical mechanisms may unlock "globally optimal" cross-basin water allocation strategies, with AI autonomously generating and executing decisions.
Ultimately, the deep integration of digital twins with water conservancy will transform "smart water" into "digital rivers," redefining human-water interactions and governance paradigms.
From safeguarding rivers to empowering an intelligent ecosystem, digital twin technology is building smart defenses for water resources, ecology, and security. With decades of expertise in water and meteorology IT, SuperMap continues to pioneer innovative solutions. As technology, industry, and policy converge, the vision of "intelligent, interconnected rivers" is fast becoming reality.
