SimHydro conferences, since 2010, have created a regular forum where major actors of the hydroinformatic domain and stakeholders meet, share and debate about needs, innovations and implementations of models and their inputs for decision making. The various sessions of SimHydro 2025 will cover these dimensions and will offer to the participants the possibility to share and exchange with scientists, practitioners and decision makers.
The SimHydro 2025 conference is jointly organized by the Société Hydrotechnique de France (SHF), the Association Française de Mécanique (AFM), the Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) and the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR).
Following the 7 past successful events in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023, the next SimHydro Conference will be held from June 2 to June 4 2025 in Sophia Antipolis, France. The conference will run on-site only. For this new edition, the general theme of the conference will be focused on “Which data for water and models?”. The objective is to address some of the key challenges related to data and faced by the water modelling community. Data are gaining a central position within digitalisation of water processes, emergent Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven solutions and improved management strategies. The exponential production of field and monitoring data with new generation sensors (including remote sensing) is becoming a real burden for scientists, engineerings and field operators who have to define a sustainable strategy for data management for a decade horizon, optimize investments, manage maintenance and at the same time, ensure quality and reliability. Emerging concepts like Digital Twins bring answers that must be discussed among the various actors of the water sector and the solution providers as well. As the next UN OCEAN conference 2025 will take place in Nice from June 9 to 13, 2025, a particular emphasis on coastal and marine domains will given during SimHydro 2025.
In addition to the recurrent topics of the conference, SimHydro 2025 will focused sessions around the following major themes:
- Data for water and models: The data production in the water sector is exponential. New sensors allow to collect multiple values at low cost. The communication networks – land based (radio) and satellite based networks – are currently offering a wide coverage of urban environments and are strongly progressing at the catchment scale. The newly launched satellites are producing today numerous data that can be used to characterize hydrologic variables almost in real time. The fast increase of the data flow is questioning the data management strategy of the water actors who are looking for the sustainability of their approach. The availability of new data opens opportunities for the modelling approach, including processes and scale. In a similar way, monitoring services are facing difficult choices for their data management strategy: how to acquire?, how to validate? , how to store?, how to access? how to assess quality? are some of the key questions that request anwers. Obviously, as the water actors are facing this new challenge, the need for standards regarding data collection and management is emerging. The plenary session will address those key subjects through several practical cases and will allow all the community to enrich the debate with new experiences and good practices.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) for water issues: With the availability of computational resources and real-time communication protocols, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods and tools are flowing within all scientific and technical sectors including the water domain. The massive deployment of those tools is obviously attracting interest of the water community as they offer the possibility to address complex problems and can potentially support real-time operations that represent a major step for many professionals engaged within operations. However, if the perspectives look promissing, the practical development and implementation requests to go through a critical and validation process that is not yet fully formalized. Based on the latest AI developments and the most recent implementations in the water domain, the plenary session will address the added value of the AI approaches and the associated challenges that should be understood by the water community.
- Digital twins: The concept digital twin is gaining interest in the water community and especially for water services as demonstrated during SimHydro 2023. The digital representation of assets, devices and water systems is following the SCADA deployment that has been already used for decades. The digital twins represent an integration phase that still at the early stage. The ambition to improve efficiency and performance in water service sector requests to integrate an increased complexity that is not formalized within the current scope of digital twins. Within this perspective, the deployment of the digital twin concept to catchments represents even a greater challenge. The session will address the latest developments for digital twins in the various water sectors.
- Models for extreme hydrologic events: Over the last four years, many regions of the world have faced one of the most exceptional drought events of the past 50 years. At the same time, severe convective storms and the associated flash floods are, since 2024, the most costly disasters for insurance companies. Under those exceptional circumstances, once again the need for modelling tools able to address and to anticipate this type of situation has been underlined for the development of sustainable water sharing strategies. Obviously the innovative approaches regarding waste water treatment for water reuse and recycle have gained interest and appear on the list of operational solutions. A holistic approach is called and requests efficient modelling tools. In this context, the current modelling approach needs to be updated and to integrate a wider spectrum of processes to be able to formulate proper management strategies encompassing water uses, natural environment preservation and water related hazards mitigation.
- Special Session Urban flooding: Urban flooding is a major natural disaster that affects a large proportion of the world’s population every year. Due to the complexity of flow paths in urban areas, river overflow or rainwater flow patterns in a flooded city are particularly challenging to model (with rain falling on roofs, flowing through streets, through the sewer system, within built-up areas, in gardens, around obstacles of various shapes and sizes). To manage urban flood risk, decision-makers need detailed and accurate risk maps. There is therefore an urgent need for applicable numerical models that can simulate these flood events with sufficient accuracy in a reasonable time. Recent research has been devoted to improving the understanding of water flow processes, improving the accuracy or efficiency of simulation models, improving the translation of hydrodynamic data into risk or evacuation maps, improving the communication of this information to stakeholders and the public, etc. All these topics will be covered in this session, including field, laboratory, numerical or social approaches. Convenors: Benjamin Dewals (ULiège, Belgium), Emmanuel Mignot (INSA Lyon, France), Sandra Soares-Frazão (UCLouvain, Belgique).
- Special Session Digital Twins for Watersheds: The progress of Hydroinformatics solutions brings new challenges and opportunities for the implementation of Digital Twins at watershed scale. The availability of new methods and tools such as AI and machine learning approaches applied to forecasting and early warning systems, high performance computing solutions and spatially distributed deterministic models opens the door to virtual representation of hydrological systems at the watershed scale. The integration of technologies within the Digital Twins offers the opportunity to review the classical approaches implemented for watershed management and to develop a new strategy for the real-time decision-making process. This session will mainly focus on advanced and operational Hydroinformatics solutions for the implementation of Digital Twin for watersheds under different conditions. Convenors: Qiang Ma (IWHR, China), Philippe Gourbesville (Université Côte d’Azur, France & IWHR, China)
- Special Session Hydroinfromatics by & for young professionals. The parallel evolution of (i) hydroinformatics tools and methods, (ii) of ICT technologies, and (iii) of the training practices has significantly transformed how young professionals approach opportunities to develop and execute their training and studies. This session invites students, professionals, engineers, and researchers to share the outcomes of their recent projects and innovative practices in the field. Participants are encouraged to present their work using the format that best suits their communication goals, choosing from the following options: (A) a regular presentation (12 min presentation, full paper submission), (B) a short presentation (8 min presentation, 4 pages extended abstract submission), or (C) a poster (2 min teaser presentation). To further enhance the exchanges in this session, presenters in categories (A) and (B) are free to allocate their presentation and Q&A time flexibly within their designated time slots. Abstract submissions for this special session are open until 15th April. Authors must specify their preferred presentation format (A, B, or C) when submitting their abstracts. Convenors: Morgan Abily (Université Côte d’Azur, Géoazur, France), Olivier Delestre (Université Côte d’Azur, LJAD, France)
- Special Session Physical & Numerical modelling: Modelling plays a key role in hydraulic studies, enabling a better understanding, prediction, and management of flows and their interactions with the environment. The understanding of certain complex phenomena requires combining experimental and numerical approaches. This session is therefore specifically dedicated to these combined approaches, which allow for the validation, optimization, and prediction of behaviors in various scientific and industrial contexts. Contributions may include case studies, methodological innovations, or interdisciplinary applications, highlighting the synergies between these complementary approaches. Convenor: Olivier Bertrand (Artelia, France)
- Special session Integration of structural and non-structural measures in flash flood prevention: Flash flood disasters are notorious for their sudden onset, immense destructive power, and inherent unpredictability, which frequently result in significant impacts on both human society and the natural environment. These impacts can be devastating, leading to loss of life, destruction of infrastructure, and long-term ecological damage. In response to these challenges, countries worldwide are vigorously researching and implementing countermeasures to mitigate the effects of flash floods. This involves integrating engineering solutions with non-engineering strategies in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. The exchange and sharing of cutting-edge engineering technologies and non-engineering strategies employed by various countries in managing flash floods have become increasingly important. Engineering solutions, such as the development of robust levees, advanced drainage systems, and flood control reservoirs, play a crucial role in physically containing and diverting floodwaters. On the other hand, non-engineering approaches, including early warning mechanisms, effective evacuation strategies, and public education programs, are equally vital in minimizing human casualties and socio-economic losses. The combined implementation of these engineering and non-engineering measures is extensively deliberated and advocated by experts and policymakers alike. It is believed that a holistic approach, which combines physical infrastructure with proactive preparedness and response measures, is the most effective way to minimize the devastation caused by flash floods. To foster international collaboration and enhance global resilience against flash floods, it is essential for nations to work together. By innovating and propagating novel techniques and methodologies for flash flood prevention and mitigation, countries can learn from each other’s experiences and best practices. This collaborative effort will not only improve individual national capacities but also contribute to a more resilient global community in the face of such natural disasters. Convenors: Liu Ronghua (IWHR, China), Zhang Xiaolei (IWHR, China), Philippe Gourbesville (IWHR, China & UCA, France)
The SimHydro conference is mainly targeting the European audience and endeavours to collect high value papers that will be published in SCI scientific journals and in a specific book (Advances in Hydroinformatics) with Springer like for the 6 previous editions. Over the last 8 years, the published chapters have been downloaded more than 300 000 times. All submitted papers are going through a peer review process (2 reviews from the scientific committee) before receiving final approval for oral presentation and publication.
English will be the conference language.
Main Themes
- Models for droughts, floods and water sharing strategies
- AI for water issues
- Digital twins
- Hydro-environmental issues and extreme situations
- Uncertainties and data assimilation
- AI solutions for water
- Intensive computing for hydraulic simulations
- Extreme in hydraulics: how to deal with?
- Decision Support System and models: concepts, design, challenges, implementation and operation
- Real time management and models
- Hydraulic structures and networks: real time operation
- Scale models in hydraulics and their place and complementary in simulation concepts
- Modelling methods and tools for floods management
- 3D multi-phase flows (experiments and modelling)
- Hydraulic machinery
- Diphasic flows and cavitation
- Modelling in ecohydraulics and morphology
Keywords
Models, data, simulation, droughts, floods, water sharing strategies, water services, wastewater treatment, water reuse and recycle, AI, digital twins, uncertainties, real time, high performance computing, DSS, scale models and numerical simulation, machinery, ecohydraulics, morphology.
Scientific committee
- Aronne Armanini (Trento University – IT)
- David Fortune (University of Exeter – UK)
- D.M. Ingram (University of Edinburgh – UK)
- Christophe Coulet (BRGM – FR)
- Yann Le Coarer (INRAE – FR)
- Gislain Lipeme (INSA Lyon – FR)
- Pierre Maruzewski (EDF – DPIH – FR)
- Farid Mazzouji (Gruner Stucky – FR)
- Edie Miglio (Polytechnica di Milano – IT)
- Stéphane Mimouni (EDF – FR)
- Giorgio Pavesi (Università di Padou – IT)
- Vincent Rebour (IRSN – FR)
- Véronique Roig (IMFT – FR)
- Sébastien Roux (CNR – FR)
- Pierre Ruyer (IRSN – FR)
- Albert Ruprecht (Stuttgart University – DE)
- Patrick Sauvaget (SHF – FR)
- Rudolf Schilling (Munich University – DE)
- Anton Schleiss (EPF)L – CH)
- Théophile Terraz (INRAE – FR)
- Olivier Thual (Toulouse University – FR)
- Ezio Todini (Bologna University – IT)
- Brigitte Vinçon Leite (ENPC – FR)
- Damien Violeau (EDF-LNHE – FR)
Organizing committee
- M. Abily (Université Côte d’Azur, France)
- O. Bertrand (ARTELIA, France)
- S. Bourban (EDF, France)
- G. Caignaert (Arts et Métiers Paristech, France)
- F. X Cierco (CNR, France)
- G. De Cesare (EPFL, Switzerland))
- O. Delestre (Polytech Nice Sophia – University Côte d’Azur, France)
- O. Fouché-Grobla (Le Cnam, France)
- B. Geisseler (Geisseler Law Firm, Germany)
- Ph. Gourbesville (Polytech Nice Sophia – University Côte d’Azur, France)
- S.Y Liong (NUS, Singapore)
- C. Münch (HEVS, Switzerland)
- V.T.V Nguyen (McGill University, Canada)
- P. Tassi (EDF, France)
- P.L. Viollet (SHF, France)