Reservoir Operation Assessment Tool (ROAT)

ROAT will provide operational assessment of mROAT will provide operational assessment of multi-objective reservoirs (flood control, urban-agriculture-industry water supply, hydropower) based on seasonal and longer-term river-flow forecasts and the environmental flow regime requirementsulti-objective reservoirs (flood control, urban-agriculture-industry water supply, hydropower) based on seasonal and longer-term river-flow forecasts and the environmental flow regime requirements

Engage end-users

ROAT has followed the philosophy of co-generation through an intense dialogue of the service developer with the end user from the beginning of the project. This process was carried out with more than a dozen face-to-face meetings with the managers of the reservoir selected as a pilot case, who were also involved in the Cordoba MUF. Their views and current working methods have shaped the appearance and scope of the service in all its dimensions.

Development

ROAT service aims to help managers in taking their operational decisions in multi-purpose reservoirs located in areas prone to disadvantageous meteorological conditions (i.e. intense flood and severe drought episodes).

An easily scalable web application with restricted access that shows an intuitive diagram of the reservoir system, composed of various interconnected elements (basins, rivers and reservoirs). Customizable graphs and tables show measured and simulated historical and real time data, as well as seasonal forecast data, specific to each element.

ROAT follows an Access provision business model, covering new geographical areas and providing new methods to communicate with clients. It uses cost-efficient contracting forms with multi-product revenue generation opportunities.

Value

This service is a unique tool for the managers of the reservoirs since it brings together on the same platform hydro-meteorological data in real time and a seasonal forecast that they are not currently using in their daily management. The service supports operational decision making through: (1) anticipating the risk of drought in the future and setting a “scarcity level”, (2) offering decision options on the monthly distribution of water demands among uses through forecasts of available water to increase profits, (3) allowing the managers to anticipate water excess discharges from snowmelt to avoid damages downstream the dam as to avoid discharging more water than necessary.

The application of ROAT in the pilot study area, a system of reservoirs in southern Spain, shows a potential benefit conditioned by an improvement in the accuracy of the seasonal forecast, currently not good enough for this region.

Market

ROAT is a value-driven climate service

Users are willing to pay for the implementation and maintenance of a climate service offering clear and reliable information of the current water availability and seasonal forecast of hydro-meteorology, volume of water in the reservoir, and demands satisfaction rate.