IoT4SRGK - Improvement of heavy rainfall hazard maps through real-time data

Research project

The project "IoT4SRGK – Improving Heavy Rainfall Hazard Maps with Real-Time Data" aims to investigate how the accuracy of heavy rainfall hazard maps can be enhanced through the use of small-scale, real-world data. To this end, an IoT-based sensor system will be installed in the city of Gütersloh to measure real-time data within the urban area. This data serves as input for the heavy rainfall hazard maps and modeling parameters. Examples include measurements of precipitation, temperature, evaporation, and/or soil moisture. The goal is to determine which sensors are needed, and at which locations, to assess heavy rainfall hazards. The insights gained from these measurements will reveal, for the first time, small-scale interactions on-site that were previously only considered through general assumptions in the modeling process, potentially distorting reality. The project aims to produce an optimized heavy rainfall hazard map using IoT data, thereby making a significant contribution to improving the existing method for creating heavy rainfall hazard maps. At the same time, this will develop a concept for equipping sensors to assess the risks of heavy rainfall, in order to create a standardized approach for deploying sensors in urban areas for municipalities, something that currently does not exist. This aims to prevent the development of too many isolated solutions, particularly within the framework of Smart City strategies.

The project is funded by the European Union and by the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.