The Emilia-Romagna Region and the Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering at the University of Bologna have signed a strategic collaboration to create a “digital twin” of the Ravone stream, with the aim of assessing the impact of extreme rainfall events, identifying critical vulnerabilities and developing structural and nonstructural prevention measures to support emergency management.
The project, created in response to the flooding events that hit the region in May 2023 and, more recently, the city of Bologna on Oct. 19, 2024, is based on a high-resolution survey of the entire urban riverbed of the creek, carried out via Laser Scanner. The dataset includes both the tombed and open-cut sections, providing a detailed basis for analysis.
Through the use of open-source hydrological and hydraulic modeling tools, the team will develop models capable of simulating the behavior of the river system under different flood scenarios. Specifically:
- HEC-HMS for inflow-deflow transformation and generation of flood hydrograms on events with different return times;
- HEC-RAS and EPA SWMM for propagation of hydrograms along the stream and analysis of hydraulic response, with the aim of identifying critical points and mitigation strategies.
The creation of the digital twin will allow preventive testing of interventions to improve hydraulic efficiency, optimize contingency plans, and strengthen spatial resilience. This synergy between technical and institutional expertise is a concrete step in combating the effects of climate change and protecting local communities.
