Hydrological Data Management: Present State and Trends
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WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION OPERATIONAL HYDROLOGY REPORT No. 48 HYDROLOGICAL DATA MANAGEMENT: PRESENT STATE AND TRENDS By A. Terakawa WMO-No. 964 Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization – Geneva – Switzerland THE WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), of which 187* States and Territories are Members, is a specialized agency of the United Nations. The purposes of the Organization are: (a) To facilitate worldwide cooperation in the establishment of networks of stations for the making of meteorological observations as well as hydrological and other geophysical observations related to meteorology, and to promote the establishment and maintenance of centres charged with the provision of meteorological and related services; (b) To promote the establishment and maintenance of systems for the rapid exchange of meteorological and related infor- mation; (c) To promote standardization of meteorological and related observations and to ensure the uniform publication of observations and statistics; (d) To further the application of meteorology to aviation, shipping, water problems, agriculture and other human activi- ties; (e) To promote activities in operational hydrology and to further close cooperation between Meteorological and Hydrological Services; and (f) To encourage research and training in meteorology and, as appropriate, in related fields and to assist in coordinating the international aspects of such research and training. (Convention of the World Meteorological Organization, Article 2) The Organization consists of the following: The World Meteorological Congress, the supreme body of the Organization, brings together the delegates of Members once every four years to determine general policies for the fulfilment of the purposes of the Organization, to approve long- term plans, to authorize maximum expenditures for the following financial period, to adopt Technical Regulations relating to international meteorological and operational hydrological practice, to elect the President and Vice-Presidents of the Organization and members of the Executive Council and to appoint the Secretary-General; The Executive Council, composed of 36 directors of national Meteorological or Hydrometeorological Services, meets at least once a year to review the activities of the Organization and to implement the programmes approved by Congress; The six regional associations (Africa, Asia, South America, North and Central America, South-West Pacific and Europe), composed of Members, coordinate meteorological and related activities within their respective Regions; The eight technical commissions, composed of experts designated by Members, study matters within their specific areas of competence (technical commissions have been established for basic systems, instruments and methods of observa- tion, atmospheric sciences, aeronautical meteorology, agricultural meteorology, marine meteorology, hydrology, and climatology); The Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, serves as the administrative, documentation and information centre of the Organization. It prepares, edits, produces and distributes the publications of the Organization, carries out the duties specified in the Convention and other Basic Documents and provides secretariat support to the work of the constituent bodies of WMO described above. ________ * On 31 December 2003. WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION OPERATIONAL HYDROLOGY REPORT No. 48 HYDROLOGICAL DATA MANAGEMENT: PRESENT STATE AND TRENDS By A. Terakawa WMO-No. 964 Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization – Geneva – Switzerland 2003 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS An Advisory Committee, chaired by Dr Yamada, comprising the following members was established to provide useful information for the preparation of this report. Name Affiliation Dr Tadashi Yamada Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University Mr Yoshiyuki Imamura Assistant Director, River Planning Division, River Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Mr Makoto Kaneki Head, Hydrology Division, River Department, Public Works Research Institute, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Mr Shinichi Kasuya Director, Research Department, Japan Construction Information Center (JACIC) Dr Tadahiko Nakao Director, Institute of River and Basin Integrated Communication System, Foundation of River and Basin Integrated Communications (FRICS) Mr Eiji Otsuki Assistant Director, River Information Measures Section, River Planning Division, River Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Dr Ryosuke Shibasaki Professor, Center for Spatial Information Science (CSIS), Tokyo University Dr Kaoru Takara Professor, Flood Disaster Laboratory, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University © 2003, World Meteorological Organization ISBN: 92-63-10964-8 NOTE The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. CONTENTS Page Foreword . v Summary (English, French, Russian and Spanish) . vii CHAPTER 1 — INTRODUCTION . .1 1.1 The importance of hydrological data . 1 1.2 Structure of this report . 1 CHAPTER 2 — HYDROLOGICAL DATABASES . 2 2.1 Hydrological databases outlined . 2 2.1.1 Need for a database . 2 2.1.2 Hydrological observation data: types and units . 2 2.1.3 Historical data and real-time data . 2 2.2 Selected hydrological databases . 3 2.3 Configuration of a hydrological database . 3 2.3.1 Flow from data observation to dissemination . 3 2.3.2 Methods of data dissemination . 4 2.3.3 Present state of the systems . 4 2.3.4 Recent trends . 4 2.4 Constructing a hydrological database . 4 2.4.1 Setting codes and key words . 4 2.4.2 Input format . 4 2.4.3 Database registration methods . 4 2.4.4 Supplement of missing data . 4 2.4.5 Managing the quality of data . 6 2.4.6 Precautions in constructing a database . 6 2.5 Maintaining and updating a hydrological database . 6 2.5.1 Maintenance and updating . 6 2.5.2 Responding to changes in the hardware and software environments . 6 2.5.3 Managing the utilization of a database . 7 2.5.4 Need for data base management . 7 2.6 Network systems and public release of data . 7 2.6.1 Merits of a network system . 7 2.6.2 Policies regarding the public release of data . 7 2.6.3 Security measures . 7 2.6.4 Concept of data copyright . 7 2.6.5 Fee charging methods . 7 2.6.6 Examples of internet use . 7 2.7 Examples of practical hydrological databases . 9 2.7.1 Bureau of Meteorology (Australia) . 9 2.7.2 Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Japan) . 9 2.7.3 United States Geological Survey . 9 2.7.4 Global Runoff Data Centre . 9 2.8 Conclusion . 9 CHAPTER 3 — GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPLIED TO OPERATIONAL HYDROLOGY 10 3.1 Geographical Information Systems outlined . 10 3.1.1 Definition and special features of GIS . 10 3.1.2 History of GIS development . ..