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Team leader Professor Joseph Lee says Project Waterman is attracting worldwide interest
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A groundbreaking Hong Kong environmental project addressing coastal water pollution issues is being watched with interest around the world.
The results of Project Waterman, led by an expert team at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), with funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, have the potential to enhance fisheries management wherever pollutants, such as "red tide" algae, are a problem. The work will also improve beach water-quality forecasts, and enable clearer environmental impact assessments (EIA).
Team leader Professor Joseph Lee, who is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President of the Redmond Chair of Civil Engineering at HKU, described the work as pioneering. He said the technology under development can be applied to other parts of the world, particularly the Chinese mainland and other Asian countries. "The system will not only be useful for coastal cities, but also for many inland cities with rivers and lakes," he said. "Some configurations may be required for each particular city, but it is certainly doable."
Research leading to the inter-disciplinary project's funding began some 10 years ago by a team of HKU researchers from engineering, computer science and biology, working on several large group projects supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council. Today's 25-member team is made up of two professors, eight postdoctoral researchers and 15 research assistants and system developers. Professor Lee believes the team is developing the most integrated marine-water knowledge base – combining real-time data with advanced mathematical models to issue water-quality forecasts online – ever assembled.
World First
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Popular Hong Kong beaches are being used in the pilot project to forecast water quality accurately
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"Worldwide, the development of online and near real-time marine-water-quality forecast and management systems is still in its infancy. There are some individual systems focusing on one or two particular aspects but, as a whole, from marine-water-quality forecast to fisheries management and EIA, we are definitely the first."
Using advanced mathematical modeling and information technology, Project Waterman is developing a cutting-edge water-quality forecast and management system. It will enable the public to view, over the Internet, beach-water-quality forecasts, information for fisheries management, and the environmental impact, intuitively in 3D virtual reality, against a realistic geographical background.
"The user can navigate through the system and obtain answers to such questions as: what is the tide level in the Three Fathoms Cove fish culture zone tomorrow morning, the pollution level of Big Wave Bay, the risk of red tides in Victoria Harbour, or whether the water velocity is suitable for a wind-surfing competition in Stanley," Professor Lee said.
"This will be the first 3D virtual reality system ever developed for a complex marine environment like Hong Kong or any coastal city in China. The cutting-edge Waterman system will enhance the scientific management and sustainable development of our marine resources."
The overall objective, Professor Lee said, is to promote public awareness of the water around us, encouraging meaningful discussion of events that may impact the marine environment. "It will also facilitate the sustainable development of Hong Kong."
Beneficiaries are expected to include government decision-makers, engineers and consultants involved in infrastructure projects, fishermen and "the general public who have a right to be informed about our marine environment for enjoyment and conservation."
Professor Lee, who has already presented the team's work to various international conferences, said the project could place Hong Kong at the forefront of marine environmental solutions. "It will put our city on the world map," he said.
"This system will be trend setting on the mainland and the region as an exemplary water-quality management tool. In general, environmental problems require an inter-disciplinary approach, and that is one of our strengths – to be able to pull together a team of top researchers to work together with a common vision."
Business Opportunities
The work will have business spin-offs, too. For a start, Professor Lee said, consulting firms can use the tools to enhance the contents of EIA reports. The Geographical Information Systems- and Internet-based visualisation system can be used to help SMEs that want to visualise their data on top of the 3D Hong Kong terrain, but lack the capability to build the system themselves.
Professor Lee also hopes that, at the end of the project, the project team will form a company to provide high-tech environmental consultancy, IT and related training for Hong Kong, the mainland and the region. He certainly sees the need.
"There are huge problems with good business potential on the mainland. I believe the bright young engineers and scientists in Hong Kong can compete at a very high international level and launch such exciting ventures. The success of this project would also enhance the image of Hong Kong as a regional educational hub."
Related link
Project Waterman
