Climate, Energy and Environment Ministry announces partnership to upgrade urban flood forecasts

The Climate, Energy and Environment Ministry said the Han River Flood Control Office will sign an agreement on Aug. 11 with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information to strengthen urban flood forecasts by pairing field operations with artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

The ministry said the agreement was pursued to lay the groundwork for applying and expanding urban flood forecasting and response technology in the field. Both organizations plan to link the urban flood forecast system with the institute's support platform, provide field support using AI and high-performance computing infrastructure and intelligent technology, and build a framework for testing and deploying the technology.

The institute has developed AI-based high-resolution rainfall analysis, ultra-fast simulations using high-performance computing and CCTV flood recognition using explainable AI. The tools will be tested using actual observation data and heavy-rain cases for accuracy, stability and field usability and integrated gradually to support flood forecasters' judgment.

The office is operating the system this year around Gangnam Station and Sindaebang Station. It combines rainfall and inundation forecasts with real-time data from rivers, sewers and road surfaces to give advance warnings of flood risks and share conditions at sites. Information on the system and its issuance status is available through the urban flood forecast platform.

"The urban flood forecast system can operate reliably in the field only when accurate predictions, rapid awareness of field conditions and flood forecasters' professional judgment work together. Through cooperation with the institute, we will verify the feasibility of applying advanced science and technology in the field and continue to improve the effectiveness of urban flood forecasts," Kim Gu-beom, head of the Han River Flood Control Office, said.

"Responding to the climate crisis requires close connections between science and technology, policy and the field. We will work closely with the Han River Flood Control Office to secure technologies and results that can be used in actual settings," Lee Sik, president of the institute, said.