Peatlands are crucial ecosystems that store lots of carbon, support unique biodiversity, and regulate water flow. However, these valuable landscapes are under threat from human activities such as drainage, agriculture, and peat extraction. As a result, peatlands are degrading worldwide, leading to greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity, and disruption of hydrological cycles. The BUFFER+ project, funded by the Interreg North West Europe program, aims to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions for the restoration and sustainable management of peatlands. One of the components of the BUFFER+ project is the use of digital twin technology, made by one of the partners within BUFFER+, HAEDES.
Digital twinning:
A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical object or system that is constantly updated with real-time data. In the context of peatland management, digital twins can be used to create detailed models of peatland hydrology, vegetation, and soil processes. These models can then be used to simulate different scenarios and test the effectiveness of various restoration and management measures.
Digital twinning for peatlands:
HAEDES is working on a digital twin for BUFFER+. The use of digital twins in the BUFFER+ project is a promising approach to improving our understanding of peatland ecosystems and developing more effective strategies for their restoration and sustainable management. By this digital technology, we can better protect these valuable landscapes and ensure that they continue to provide a range of benefits to both people and the environment.
What challenges are addressed by HAEDES and this digital twin?
People find it often quite difficult to envisage the effects of possible measures. Not knowing this often leads to more misunderstanding and makes it hard to create a stable support base. Through our Digital Twin model we therefore enable project managers, partners and stakeholders to envisage the project area and give them insights about the situation as is and also can be.
Our digital twin is a digital reproduction of the reality which helps us to understand our surroundings. You could call it an online world where you can build, create and asses the effects of your decisions in order to make the best decisions in reality. Thanks to its accessibility it does not only give an objective image of the impacts of possible measurements, but also helps in the creation of a support base.
Process:
What steps HAEDES took to design the digital twin?
As always we need to make sure that we know our project areas. Therefore we analyze them and gather the information needed to make a digital twin out of it. Throughout that process we keep on adding layers of data, so that the image becomes as accurate as possible and to make sure that our partners can access all the information needed to make the best decisions. In doing so we constantly keep in touch with our partners, because we are creating a tailor made decision tool.
Usage of the digital twin:
Is the digital twin accessible for everyone? What partners within BUFFER+ use the model and how?
The goal of our digital twin is to make it accessible for everyone in the project. Partners, but also stakeholders like inhabitants or farmers should be able to use and play with the tool so they can see the changes and possible outcomes themselves.
Future perspective:
Since our Digital Twin is a tailor made tool we can develop it for various purposes. From rewetting over protection from floods, to protection against drought. Thanks to our close cooperation with our partners we are able to define the local needs, wishes and pitfalls. By building on this contacts we can develop practical and useful tools that can help our partners to objectively weigh their options and create a world in which we create and build (back) better for ourselves and our environment.