2.5. TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK
The minimum technical requirements for the implementation of the surveyed telematics applications are summarised in Table 2 below. The table highlights the options available for technical transfer, the software and hardware requirements, and actions required for implementation. It also summarises the geographical scope of the applications and target users.
| Project Name | Geographical Implementation | Application Characteristics and Transferability | Hardware Requirements | Software Requirements | Target Groups |
| Construction and Demolition Recyclables Exchange | National | A well-established Internet-based system which requires some reprogramming and costs of software licenses. | Personal Computer and Internet Web Server. | Oracle database, Internet access. | Construction and demolition companies, municipal authorities, waste associations. |
| SINDRA | Regional | The conceptual data model is ready, however, the harmonisation and standardisation of waste definitions, calculation methods, and presentation of information in order to achieve compatibility with local approaches will require considerable time. | Internet Server and hardware capacity to host a large database that can be accessed regularly by as many as 15-20 local users at once. |
Database management software for the host provider. Internet access and browser for the user. |
Regional and local authority decision-makers responsible for waste management. |
| COSIMA | Urban | The architecture and frame-work is based around a so-called Uniform Data Model. This must be tailored to local conditions, including different data structures and public administration procedures. | GIS technology, UNIX platform and /or NT Serrver. Local Area Network. | Oracle database, ARC/Info, ARC/View for data presentation and MapInfo. | Contaminated site managers and land-use planners within public administration. |
| Urban Air Quality Management System in Vilnius, Lithuania | Urban | A well-established package based upon the AIRVIRO system. Local calibration of data required. | AIRVIRO System, air quality monitors and sensors, UNIX work-station, computer server and work-stations, Internet access, reliable telecommuni-cations infrastructure. | AirWeb, Air quality management software including emissions database, dispersion modelling tools, Internet access. | Urban air quality managers and policy-makers. |
| JAMS | Transboundary | The concept and methodology can be applied anywhere, with technical requirements tailored to some degree to local conditions. Data calibration of local inputs is necessary. | Reliable tele-communications infra-structure, wide area network, satellite transmitters and receivers, monitoring stations/sensors, and analysers. | ENVISAT CAS software. | Air quality managers and policy-makers. |
| SNIRH | National | The framework including its functional analysis and theoretical concepts has been successfully transferred to the Azores, Madeira, and elsewhere. However, it must be tailored to local circumstance and access to local data collection networks is a pre-requisite. |
Local Area Network Spatial Database Engine (SDE) enabling database server to include geographic data. ALPHA 4000 UNIX, ALPHA 600 Web Server Workstations with Win95/Win98/ Win NT PC's. |
Oracle database software, Oracle's Binary Large Object software for image storage, Apache Web Server ARC/Info and ARC/View for data presentation. GIS software and original software developed by Chiron. | Water resource and water quality managers at national, regional and local level, as well as environment agencies. |
| TELEFLEUR | Urban | The Decision Support System (DSS) can be customised by tailoring its rules and procedures to those of urban administrations. Communication protocols and interfacing software must be fine-tuned to the requirements of the individual tasks. | UNIX workstation, PC, Command Centre receiving and storing data, sensors (e.g. surface meteo stations, water level-meters), satellite receivers. |
Decision Support System, and Expert System. |
Public authorities dealing with emergency flooding incidents. |
| Danube AEWS | Transboundary | The System's underlying operational principle is based on the Rhine and Elbe International Alert and Warning Systems. This methodology can be tailored to any transboundary river basin, given the existence of data supply mechanisms. | Network of "principal international alert centres," water quality monitoring networks and sensors. Tele-communication system, satellite transmitters and receivers. | Hazardous substances information system, "Danube Basin Alarm Model," Information Processing System. | Surface water resource managers, public authorities. |
| DEDICS | Urban | DEDICS relies on five separate applications, and integrates, together based on local conditions. System transfer must be performed with careful consideration and on a case-by-case basis, because of the many different data components. | Spatial Decision Support System; Network of automated monitoring terminals "Firefighter Command Center." Satellite transmitters and receivers. Access to meteorological networks, Database Management System, GIS and GPS capacity. | DEDICS "software layer" or other similar package | Emergency managers within public administration, fire-fighting patrols, and other emergency services. |
| HEIS-MUC | Urban | The application offers a working framework and system that relies, where possible, on public domain software and tools. It must be tailored, however, to the special environmental needs and datasets of any administration. | UNIX server, Windows NT platform, GIS, PC workstations, Local Area Networks, Map server, Info-kiosks, and public terminals. | Intranet and Internet, PERL and SGML editing and programming tools, ArcInfo, MapObjects, ArcView. | Environmental managers and policy-makers, administration at urban, regional, international level. |
| IOZIP | Urban | The principles and methodologies can be applied, however, adaptation to individual data sets, formats and requirements is needed. | GIS, Local Area Network, Internet server and MapObjects Internet Server. | Oracle and FoxPro, database, MapInfo, ArcView, Internet browser and editor. | Environmental managers and policy makers at urban level. |
| Black Sea Web | Transboundary | The necessary architecture for linking remote and disparate databases together is offered. The data must ensure only a meta-data description and user familiarity with the Internet. | GIS, Internet Server. | Central Meta Directory, Electronic Sounding Board, Management Support System, Remote Data Access and Application Layer Modules. | Water managers and policy makers. |
Table 2: Geographical and technical requirements among the surveyed telematics applications
Technologies Supporting Waste and Contaminated Site Management
The Construction and Demolition Recyclables Exchange and SINDRA rely heavily on Internet communication technologies and database software.
The Recyclables Exchange application utilises Oracle database software to store construction waste inventory information. This is mounted on an Internet website using a webserver. The update of the system is largely left to the users - construction and demolition companies. The host of the system, the "Recycling-Platform for Construction" is an association of six federal regions and several associations of the construction industry. The organisation relies on a single PC for database maintenance, updating the website, managing membership and public relations.
Exchange users require Internet access and a membership password, but a fax-on-demand service caters to those without Internet access. The system can be applied at any level (the case study portrays national level application). The more users and greater geographic spread the system has, the greater its impact. The system costs approximately EUR 100,000 to implement. However, costs can be offset by launching system development as part of an academic research assignment. A small membership fee and the sale of advertising space subsidises the maintenance of the Exchange. Organisations looking to establish such a system might also look to guarantee its use by lobbying municipal authorities to embody its use within all municipal tenders and contracts concerning construction and/or demolition. The operator of the Exchange is willing to make further technical information available in order to support its transfer.
SINDRA is an application that relies solely on a database management system to store and manage waste related data. The database is made available over the Internet, which means the host provider must also be able to offer an Internet website and have server capacity for this. Users also need the same software as that in which the database is hosted as well as Internet access. The development of a waste management information system requires the input of related information acquired from local authorities. This information must then be harmonised. For instance, waste-related definitions, calculation methods, and presentation of information compatible with independent local approaches should be standardised. Some of the mechanisms used by SINDRA in overcoming these challenges are highlighted below in "Project Management."
The COSIMA application largely relies on GIS technology for operation and data management. Oracle database software is used to store site data, while ARC/Info is the software relied on for data presentation, and to provide a user-friendly, graphical user interface. The database may reside within a Local Area Network, and can also be operated from Windows NT and UNIX workstations. COSIMA has already developed a base architecture and framework that combines different data models into one Unified Data Model. COSIMA has been applied in several European cities and its strength lies in its ability to adapt to different IT-infrastructures and legal conditions. COSIMA requires considerable expertise in the field of contaminated sites and GIS, and anticipates several experts with skills in these fields are required to implement successfully.
The cost of implementing COSIMA will depend on local circumstances. Approximately EUR 500,000 was required to implement the application in Cologne, Germany. Funds should also be earmarked for an analysis of existing data infrastructures, staff training, and for the purchase of software components. The City of Cologne co-financed the application with EC support and offers consultancy services and system demonstrations as a means to support implementation/uptake.
Technologies Supporting Environmental Monitoring
Air quality monitoring tools such as those used by the City of Vilnius and the Black Triangle Region (JAMS) require a number of technical conditions be met. The Joint Air Monitoring System of the Black Triangle Region requires PC workstations, modem, data analysts and a reliable telecommunications infrastructure upon which to establish a wide area network and Internet services. (One of the obstacles faced by the project team was the insufficient capacity and reliability of the telecommunications network in the region when the system was first implemented). The AIRVIRO System requires a UNIX workstation, computer server, individual workstations and Internet access in order to be fully implemented.
Both AIRVIRO, of the City of Vilnius, and JAMS rely on a series of automated air quality monitoring stations and meteorological sensors. In the Black Triangle (transboundary) Region, these must be operated according to jointly agreed data calibration standards. The cost of installing AIRVIRO was approximately EUR 750,000. These were borne by both domestic and international sources, including the Swedish International Development Agency and the Lithuanian government. In the Black Triangle Region, equipment costs of EUR 2.2 million were offset by the PHARE Programme, while all other costs were borne by the countries involved. The hosts of both systems highlighted the importance of obtaining the right technical support and the need to give careful consideration in the selection of technical equipment suppliers. References should therefore always be checked carefully.
Figure 6: SNIRH Framework.
(Source: SNIRH)
The SNIRH water resources management information system is designed around a database server that continuously receives data from many different sources, and simultaneously replies to requests from different clients. It depends on a variety of software and hardware applications. In terms of software, Oracle is used for data storage and Arc/Info for data presentation. ORACLE's Binary Large Object, BLOb application is used to support image storage, while client interface programmes enable user-query mechanisms. A Local Area Network (LAN) supports data access, and a so-called Spatial Database Engine (SDE) enables the database server to include geographical data. The SNIRH framework (shown in Figure 6), including its functional analysis and theoretical concepts can be transferred to practically any region, after relatively simple tailoring to local circumstances and local data sets.
Water resource and/or environment agencies dealing with the management of drinking water resources would be target users. The application hosts - the Portuguese Water Resources Institute or INAG - has considerable documentation on SNIRH and its procedures. It has also organised explanatory sessions and country-wide present-ations. The technical partner, Chiron, has also been involved in this process, and has supported transfer to Madeira, the Azores and Mozambique.
Technologies Supporting Emergency Management
Emergency warning systems rely on local data collection networks and mechanisms. This involves the use of monitoring tools and sensors. Data is stored within databases that are part of decision-support systems. The exchange of data throughout regions or urban areas (seen in both the Danube emergency warning system as well as DEDICS) is increasingly supported by satellite. Satellite receivers and transmitters are increasingly prerequisites while software tools are commonly required for impact assessment modelling.
Both TELEFLEUR and DEDICS require a network of remote sensors that feed dynamic data into respective decision support systems. The TELEFLEUR flood-warning system (see Figure 7 below) requires sufficient ground-based, surface water, meteorological and hydrological sensors - as well as satellite and radar receivers and transmitters - to collect data on a continuous basis. This data is analysed by modelling tools, which can simulate meteorological and hydrological conditions to forecast flash-flood scenarios. The modelling tools operate within a central computing facility. A so-called Command Center must also be established to host a Decision Support System (DSS) that acts as a repository for the acquired data. An expert system within the DSS provides data assessment and displays data and potential courses of action. Based on these decisions, the DSS coordinates and informs the relevant emergency public services.
Figure 7: Schematic Diagram for TELEFLEUR. (Source: TELEFLEUR)
TELEFLEUR can be customised to any urban area, provided the existence of the necessary data components and data collection mechanisms. New geo-morphological and local data standards must be defined, and the system's procedures tailored to those of urban administrations. Communication protocols must be tailored to the appropriate hardware platforms (UNIX and PC).
The Danube Accident Emergency Warning System requires a framework of "principal international alert centres or PIACs" to alert countries to emergency incidents. Such centres must be supported by a reliable data supply and exchange chain that incorporates each country's water quality monitoring networks and sensors. A reliable telecommunication system is required in order to ensure emergency messages can be received and handled on a 24-hour basis. Satellite transmitters and receivers can support this process. Among the software requirements are an information system on hazardous substances, and a model under which the propagation of pollutants can be simulated. This is known as the "Danube Basin Alarm Model."
The System's underlying operational principle is similar to that of the Rhine and Elbe International Alert and Warning Systems, and can be tailored to any similar region's circumstances and needs. Funding of the system was contributed by a number of international and domestic sources.
The DEDICS forest fire management support system relies on five separate telematics applications that form part of a "Spatial Decision Support System or SDSS." The system relies on a network of automated terminals that provide early warning detection and are linked through satellite communication connection to a Firefighter Command Centre. A meteorological monitoring system is also necessary, to feed real-time weather data into the SDSS. A Database Management System monitors and stores the data received from these sources, while a fourth GIS-based system provides model-based assessments of climate and land-use risk. These latter tools are also located within the Firefighter Command Centre. A fifth application, called "FLORINUS," uses a Global Positioning System to support communication about emergency incidents (including maps and location) to different fire-fighter patrols. The information from these sources are linked together through DEDICS application's "software layer" that simplifies information exchange and communication.
The DEDICS application must be transferred on a case-by-case basis, because of its reliance on different data management tools. It must also be tailored according to local emergency needs, a task which will require further software development.
Technologies Supporting Public Access to Information
One of the main obstacles in CEE to establishing more sophisticated telematic based systems is the cost of new software and hardware. A reliance on disparate and obsolete equipment can also be a challenge when implementing sophisticated tools that integrate different data-sets.
Munich's HEIS-MUC application, however, relies as much as possible on public domain software and free hardware in order to limit the costs of implementation. Among the technical tools required for the operation of HEIS-MUC (see Figure 8 below), Arc/Info software is required for data presentation, while Oracle database software is used for information storage. The Internet and appropriate web software is required for the dissemination of information. GIS hardware, a Local Area Network, Internet and Intranet servers, and map-server tools are among the hardware that is required. Reliable telecommunications connections to monitoring stations (ISDN-preferred) is also necessary for information transfer.
Applications like HEIS-MUC are not classical "install and run" packages, and will require considerable expertise and knowledge to implement. The labour costs required are estimated at around EUR 150,000. Technical expertise is also required for different computer programming languages (including SGML and PERL). Hardware costs amount to approximately EUR 10,000.
IOZIP relies on a framework of GIS hardware and software tools, like MapInfo and ArcView. Oracle software hosts a central database of 11 data files. Further hardware includes PC and UNIX servers, a local area network, and Internet capacity.
The operational costs of HEIS-MUC is around EUR 25,000 annually, while IOZIP costs approximately EUR 150-200,000 to run. Like the City of Munich, the City of Prague pledges its technical knowledge to any party interested in adopting such applications. IOZIP and HEIS-MUC are tools targeting city or town administrations, though they can be applied regionally or internationally. These tools are intended to support collection, processing and dissemination of environmental information.
The Black Sea Web application requires an Internet server and GIS hardware, which are used for to exchange environmental data from different origins. Knowledge of the European Environment Agency (EEAs) Catalogue of Data Sources is required, because the Black Sea Web uses this data for its Central Meta-Directory, which describes the information available. A Data Access Module is needed for end-user searches of the different databases hosted by the Black Sea Web (see Figure 9 below). This module helps to formulate queries using menus and forms. Finally, an Application Layer Module (based on GIS) presents information for the user, who can access it via the Black Sea Web homepage. These tools are an integral part of the system, however, and need not be acquired separately.
Figure 9: Screenshot of a Dataset query.
(Source: Black Sea Web)
The Black Sea Web concept targets government bodies that are responsible for the marine environment. It could also be applied in other regions including the Volga, Vistula Delta, Danube, or Lake Balaton. Approximately EUR 365,000 was required to establish the system and operate it over two years time.
Any organisation looking to participate or add to the system must have an Internet connection and their own (database) server. The data contributed must only include a meta-data description (thereby simplifying the process of storing further data within the system).
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