The module provides insight into traffic flows, bottlenecks and the time needed to bring residents and tourists to safety. This gives safety regions and Rijkswaterstaat a powerful tool to cooperate better and act faster when the pressure is at its greatest. According to Ellen Moens of Rijkswaterstaat, it is precisely this joint picture that is invaluable: "In a disaster, speed and cooperation are crucial. Thanks to this tool we can see in the planning phase where the bottlenecks are and how we can act more effectively when things really go wrong."
Marcel Matthijsse of Safety Region Zeeland also emphasizes the importance of this step: "We have worked with our partners in Zeeland to develop a practical and future-proof solution. This cooperation shows what you can achieve when safety regions, Rijkswaterstaat and knowledge institutions strengthen each other."
Project team: Henk Taale, Marcel Matthijsse, Ellen Moens, Frank Hommers and Jeroen Steenbakkers
The development took place within the Fieldlab Zuid6, in which the six southern safety regions work together on innovative applications for crisis management and water safety. The evacuation module was also extensively tested and further developed with other safety regions in the Netherlands, including Utrecht, Groningen, Limburg-Noord and Fryslân and various departments of Rijkswaterstaat. This validated the operation of the tool in a variety of situations and areas, from coastal to river areas. The project was supported by Rijkswaterstaat, implemented by knowledge partners TU Delft and Argaleo.
The evacuation module was developed as a link between Argaleo's Digitwin platform and the MARPLE traffic model of Rijkswaterstaat and TU Delft. In Digitwin, scenarios can easily be set and calculated, after which the results are immediately visible as 3D visualizations. This makes complex traffic analyses immediately understandable for policymakers and emergency services. The combination of both systems makes it possible to view scenarios together and see the consequences of choices immediately. Thus, this integration forms a strong basis for further national application.
Set up evacuation scenario in digital twin
Analyzing scenario in digital twin