Das Projekt RainDrop entwickelt ein hydrodynamisches Planungstool, mit dem blau-grüne Infrastrukturen über reale klimatische Langzeitreihen dimensioniert werden. Um eine kostenoptimierte Auslegung eines Mulden-Rigolen-Elements je zulässiger Überlaufhäufigkeit mit dem Planungstool bestimmen zu können wurde wird ein deterministischer Bisektions-Optimierer vorgestellt (R-Paket kwb.raindrop). Für die Standorte Wien und Bad Aussee (15-jährige Klimareihen 2011-2025) findet der Optimierer mit rund einem Fünftel der Simulationsläufe durchweg günstigere Designs (im Median -6,5 %, bis -16 %) als die beste Rasterzelle in einem Lösungsraum mit äquidistaner Parametervariation, da Muldenfläche, Muldentiefe und Rigolen-Speicherhöhe stufenlos gesucht werden. Ein Suchpfad-Monte-Carlo bestätigt die Robustheit der gefundenen Optima.

Für das Wassermanagement urbaner Gewässersysteme werden schnelle und zugleich ausreichend belastbare Modellansätze benötigt, um beispielsweise Stoffeinträge, Abwasseranteile oder Auswirkungen zukünftiger Randbedingungen bewerten zu können. Am Beispiel Berlins wurde hierfür das Berlin Water Model als vereinfachtes dynamisches Mischungsmodell entwickelt, das für 35 Gewässerabschnitte Durchflüsse, Stoffkonzentrationen sowie Anteile von gereinigtem Abwasser, Regenabfluss und Mischwasserüberläufen in stündlicher oder täglicher Auflösung berechnet. Die Validierung mit Ergebnissen hydrodynamischer Modelle und Messdaten zeigt eine gute Übereinstimmung, auch bei Sonderfällen wie Fließumkehr. Mit dem Modell können Hotspots und Überschreitungshäufigkeiten identifiziert und die Ergebnisse als Karte dargestellt werden. Das Modell eignet sich somit für Substanzmapping und Szenarien-rechnungen zur Unterstützung des Berliner Wassermanagements.

The SmartWater project is developing a digital urban planning tool – the Blue-Green Infrastructure Planner (BGI Planner) – to integrate decentralised stormwater management measures into planning processes at an early stage. The aim is to strengthen the climate resilience of urban areas, mitigate flood risks, reduce urban heat and lessen the pollution of Berlin's waterways. The BGI Planner is based on a modular structure and links geodata, checklists and effect simulations. In two pilot areas in Berlin, the effects of blue-green infrastructure are being analysed using models – in terms of flooding, water pollution, urban climate and water balance. Established modelling tools such as InfoWorks ICM, GERRIS/HYDRAX/QSim, ENVI-met and ABIMO are being used. Initial simulation results confirm the effectiveness of selected measures and form the basis for simplified evaluation models in the tool. In future, the BGI Planner will be used as a digital tool in Berlin's administration to support sustainable and climate-adapted urban development.

SmartWater is a Berlin-wide initiative that integrates blue and green infrastructure measures into urban planning through three digital tools. The tools are being tested in two contrasting districts and comprise of a planning tool, a digital game and a flood information portal. These prototypes demonstrate the potential of blue-green infrastructure to reduce flood risk, mitigate heat stress and enhance urban climate resilience. The development process has been meticulously structured to facilitate a collaborative co-design process involving administrations, utilities, experts and residents. This approach has been instrumental in elucidating the governance needs, data requirements and communication pathways. The findings illustrate the efficacy of coordinated modelling and shared digital infrastructures in facilitating decision-making processes, enhancing public comprehension, and providing a transferable framework for urban areas aspiring to enhance climate adaptation through integrated and pragmatic approaches.

Effective decision-making in urban water management requires integrating outputs from specialized models. Berlin’s drinking water supply relies on induced bank filtration and managed aquifer recharge from the Spree and Havel rivers. However, river inflows into Berlin are declining -e.g., in summer 2019, the Spree’s inflow was half that of an average dry summer year- and are expected to decrease further over the next decade due to the ending of coal sump water discharge into the Spree. Long-term impacts from climate change are anticipated to exacerbate this trend. Additionally, an analysis of streamflow data and bank filtrate rate-corrected groundwater extraction has identified regions where maximum monthly extractions from drinking water wells already exceed the lowest monthly river flows in Berlin. This imbalance, combined with increasing water demand driven by population growth, leads to a higher proportion of treated wastewater in Berlin’s streams. As a result, risks to drinking water quality intensify, and the complexity and costs of water and wastewater treatment escalate. Furthermore, higher extraction levels are associated with increased bank filtrate fractions, amplifying system stress and emphasizing the need for sustainable water management practices.

In collaboration with the Belin Waterworks (Berliner Wasserbetriebe), we applied a well-calibrated FEFLOW© model of the Berlin-Friedrichshagen waterworks to simulate bank filtrate rates under various recharge and groundwater extraction scenarios. The model was run under three historical well configurations (2010, 2015, and 2019) and then well pumping rates were adjusted in the same relative configuration under three groundwater recharge scenarios.

A review of prior investigations revealed groups of well galleries exhibiting similar changes in bank filtrate fractions in response to extraction levels; our results complement these former investigations. Bank filtrate behavior across well galleries was found to depend on several factors, including well depth, distance to the riverbanks, the presence of opposing riverbanks, and regional groundwater heads. Relating bank filtrate change groups to site characteristics and bank filtrate fractions in other Berlin develops a city-wide understanding of changes in bank filtrate.

Future FEFLOW© modeling scenarios, including commissioning and decommissioning of well galleries, and implementing managed aquifer recharge will be essential to address remaining uncertainties. Outputs from this modeling effort contribute to regional dynamic water balance modeling for Berlin’s semi-closed water cycle in order to support sustainable water management decision-making amid evolving climatic and regulatory challenges.