AquaStress
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Integrated Solution Support System - Aquastress          

Factsheet: General functionality for data visualisation and processing

 

Definition

Methods to present and summarize generally large amounts of data graphically, to best suit the human perception.

Application objectives

The rapidly improving monitoring and simulation technology generates vast amounts of raw data. Human being, and particularly decision makers, are not geared to grasp raw data. Thus the task is to extract the most relevant information, and to present it graphically. For decision support with natural resources, spatial and temporal variability is particularly important to visualize. Furthermore, different scenarios can best be compared graphically.

Pertinent participation process phase(s)

1- Starting organization

2- Actors analysis, context

3- Diagnostic of the current situation

4- Search of solutions

5- Implementation, evaluation

Application method

Visualization and processing of data are a part of the (final) reporting phase of virtually every science or consulting project. In stakeholder-driven decision-making processes, however, visualization should be a key approach already in the early stages of the process. Often, the nature and severity of water stress problems can best be communicated through diagrams rather than text.

Application example(s)

All members of the AquaStress consortium have experience with and are competent in data visualization and processing. Several members of the consortium provide software for this purpose (NTUA, WLDelft, DHI).

Example tools

A huge variety of visualisation applications exist. Standard visualisation can be found in most desktop software, for example Microsoft Excel. In the open-source free to use domain the Calc and Draw modules of OpenOffice have similar capabilities http://www.openoffice.org/
GNUplot is a portable free to use command-line driven interactive data and function plotting utility for UNIX, IBM OS/2, MS Windows, DOS, Macintosh, VMS, Atari and many other platforms. http://www.gnuplot.info/
GIS visualisation software (e.g. ArcGIS) is less common as desktop software. Simulation models in environmental management usually contain visualisation modules. See for example http://www.wldelft.nl/soft/intro/index.html, http://environ.chemeng.ntua.gr/wsm/, http://www.dhisoftware.com/Geographic Resources Analysis Support System: Commonly referred to as GRASS, this is a Geographic Information System (GIS) used for geospatial data management and analysis, image processing, graphics/maps production, spatial modeling, and visualization. GRASS is currently used in academic and commercial settings around the world, as well as by many governmental agencies and environmental consulting companies. http://grass.itc.it/

AquaStress contact(s)

Contact: not specified

Reference

Numerous books and articles relate to visualisation.