Who else besides IBM is playing in this space? Who do we run into on these projects, now that Economic Stimulus money is available?

1. IBM and the Marine Institute of Ireland have developed a system called SmartBay where we are using advanced sensors and streaming analytics to collect real-time data from Galway Bay on a number of different parameters, including water quality, aquaculture, chemical content, wave energy and tidal movement. This system is allowing a variety of stakeholders to collaborate and make better decisions regarding their activity on the bay. Some examples include helping local fishermen manage shellfish crops and beach patrols watch for riptides or jellyfish schools.

2. In New York, IBM and the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries have teamed up to develop the first technology-based monitoring and forecasting network for the Hudson River. The River and Estuary Observatory Network (REON) is utiliizing floating sensors along the Hudson River that are helping us understand, in real time, how the river responds to everything from storms and droughts to human interaction and impacts of climate change.

3. In a project called Water for Tomorrow, IBM and the Nature Conservancy are working together to help scientists bring together their models and develop a decision support system for managing river ecosystems and improving collaboration and communication between key stakeholders within a given river basin. We are investigating uses of immersive technology and creating river basin “metaverses,” 3D models of river basins that can help scientists explore potential changes such as soil erosion, fish populations, and water levels. The Paraguay-Parana River in Brazil is the current river basin of focus, but future plans include looking at the Yangtze in China and the Mississippi River.

For more information please check out the following sites:
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ideasfromibm/us/smartplanet/topics/water-management/20090316/
http://www.ibm.com/green/water