Vienna Industry Stream Events (VISE)

IAHR plans to put more effort into strengthening its engagement with Industry, and wants to take advantage of this upcoming World Congress to create an IAHR Industry Stream for Practitioners, Regulators and Engineering, with the aim of providing a platform for those stakeholders who implement real world solutions over the full water cycle to interact, raise priority issues and advocate solutions at the global institutional level.
The Vienna 2023 Industry Stream Event (VISE) will be part of the World Congress and will include special sessions about the recent achievements of Industry and Academia in delivering industrial developments and applications.

It will cover all topics of interest to IAHR, with focus on the following themes:

River restoration and sustainable development, Tuesday, 22 August:

Sustainable development of rivers requires integrative management approaches, which combine state-of-the-art knowledge in hydrology, hydraulics, sediment transport, morphodynamics, ecology as well as social sciences. Rivers are subject to different stressors, from weather extremes due to climate change, to human use in terms of drinking water, hydropower generation, navigation or recreation, while at the same time serving as important ecological habitats. Adequate sustainable development concepts bridging the gap between these demands are found in many projects implemented recently, such as floodplain preservation and restoration, drought management concepts, side-channel reconnection, or removal of dams and other hard hydraulic structures to recreate habitats and re-establish a river continuum.

This session targets the exchange of practical experience among policymakers, river managers, engineering consultants and other stakeholders involved in the development and restoration of rivers. We aim to combine several short presentations of recent projects with a moderated discussion on lessons learned and ideas for the path forward.

Convenor: Michael Tritthart (BOKU)

Smart Technology Adaptation in Urban Water Systems for Climate Resilience, Wednesday, 23 August:

Sustainable development of rivers requires integrative management approaches, which combine state-of-the-art knowledge in hydrology, hydraulics, sediment transport, morphodynamics, ecology as well as social sciences. Rivers are subject to different stressors, from weather extremes due to climate change, to human use in terms of drinking water, hydropower generation, navigation or recreation, while at the same time serving as important ecological habitats. Adequate sustainable development concepts bridging the gap between these demands are found in many projects implemented recently, such as floodplain preservation and restoration, drought management concepts, side-channel reconnection, or removal of dams and other hard hydraulic structures to recreate habitats and re-establish a river continuum.

This session targets the exchange of practical experience among policymakers, river managers, engineering consultants and other stakeholders involved in the development and restoration of rivers. We aim to combine several short presentations of recent projects with a moderated discussion on lessons learned and ideas for the path forward.

• Understand how smart technology and solutions are reshaping urban water systems
• Learn how smart solutions and tools have been applied by leading global utilities to achieve resilience against climate change
• Learn about the potential challenges faced when implementing digital solutions and how to overcome them

Convenor: Ryan Yuen (PUB Singapore)

Sustainable Hydropower, Thursday, 24 August:

For many decades, hydropower has played a significant role in shaping the energy landscape. Nowadays, it continues to be a crucial component of the energy transition. However, it also faces challenges as it competes with other demands and uses for the natural and economic resources associated with flowing water.
Sustainable hydropower has the potential to play a significant role in the transition to a low-carbon economy and help mitigate the impacts of climate change. By promoting sustainable hydropower, the industry can contribute to a more sustainable future while also creating economic opportunities and supporting local communities. Sustainable hydropower is an approach that takes into account the environmental, social, and economic impacts of hydropower projects. It ensures that projects are designed and operated in a way that minimizes negative impacts on the environment and communities while maximizing the benefits of clean energy generation.
The industry plays a vital role in supporting sustainable hydropower by investing in research and development to improve the efficiency and sustainability of hydropower technologies. This includes developing innovative technologies to minimize the impact of dams on river ecosystems, such as fish-friendly turbines and fish ladders.

This event will bring together industry leaders and experts in sustainable hydropower who are shaping the future of clean energy. The session features an international range of speakers from the industry who will share their insights and experiences and discuss the latest technologies and solutions for sustainable hydropower.

Convenor: Helmut Habersack (BOKU), Elena Pummer (NTNU)

Computational Fluid Dynamics for Water Infrastructure, Thursday, 24 August

Convenor: John Wendelbo (Flow Science, Inc.)

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods are very rapidly becoming part of the essential workflow for many consulting engineering firms across the entire spectrum of water civil infrastructure engineering applications, ranging from municipal water conveyance, to water treatment, to coastal protection and resilience, to dams hydraulic controls and river management and fish passages. All can benefit immensely from the deployment of CFD methods. This session reviews how CFD is effectively used in the engineering context to help answer questions, reduce risk, and ultimately improve the performance of structures that are at the heart of global water sustainability.