IWHR is speeding up the application of China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) in water-related R&D, in order to boost the high-quality development of the country’s water sector.
BDS, a global satellite navigation system independently developed and operated by China, provides all-time, all-weather and high-accuracy positioning, navigation and timing services. Since the provision of services, BDS has been widely applied in transportation, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, hydrological monitoring, meteorological forecasting, communication, power dispatching, disaster relief, public security, etc.
China’s self-developed BeiDou system [Photo / Xinhua]
The large-scale application of BDS in all sectors, including the water sector, has been given high priority in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, stated Dr. Wang Daoxi, the country’s Vice Minister of Water Resources during his visit to IWHR. With the potential to be applied in fields such as hydrological monitoring, construction of water projects, water resources management, monitoring of water environment, etc., BDS can not only bring abundant socioeconomic benefits but strongly bolster China’s national water security.
A top-rank water think tank in China, IWHR has completed the pilot trial of large-scale application of BDS in the water sector. A specification of technical standards that allows use for reference and a demonstration research & application platform have been formed, and a multidisciplinary talent team has been cultivated.
The institute’s goals next steps are to: 1) foster market-driven industrial development of BDS-related technologies and products; 2) further explore the market potential of BDS-related products for their broader application in a bid to better support China’s development of digital twinning and smart water management; 3) crystalize BDS-related experience and achievements for large-scale promotion; 4) further integrate water-related R&D with BDS with an application-driven mindset.
