The IAHR India Young Professionals Network (IAHR India YPN) and the IAHR Southern India Young Professionals Network (IAHR SI YPN) are jointly organizing the Hydro Hackathon 2K24 on 19 December 2024 in the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, India.

Hackathon Overview: 

As the problems related to water changes at an unprecedented rate, traditional solutions are becoming less effective, requiring innovative approaches to ensure long-term sustainability. Hydro-Hackathon organised by IAHR Southern India YPN and IAHR India YPN at Hydro 2024 is a platform for discussing solutions together and address these challenges by developing forward-thinking, sustainable solutions that can be practically implemented.

In this hackathon, participants provided with insights into pressing issue related to Indian waters that impacts current practices in water resources, hydraulics, coastal protection, or any of the other key topics featured at Hydro 2024. The goal is to transfer the ideas to the participants that were successful and methodology carried out to solve the problem.

Course of the Event

• Introduction about the event

• IAHR Southern India YPN

• IAHR India YPN

• Technical Talk 1: Innovative Approaches to Reservoir De-siltation: Overcoming Sedimentation with the Hydro-Suction Technique.

• Technical Talk 2: Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Infrastructure and the Adaptation Strategies

• Closing Remarks

Details on the Technical Talk:

Innovative Approaches to Reservoir De-siltation: Overcoming Sedimentation with the Hydro-Suction Technique.

Effective sediment management in reservoirs is critical for ensuring their sustainable operation and extending their functional lifespan. Hydro-suction, a highly efficient and environmentally friendly method for sediment removal, has gained considerable attention in recent years due to its ability to selectively remove sediments without draining the reservoir. This keynote lecture will delve into the principles, flow dynamics, and sediment transport mechanisms of hydro-suction, highlighting its advantages over conventional desilting methods.

We will explore key concepts such as flow characteristics, critical suction parameters, sediment scour profiles, and temporal variations in sediment removal. The lecture will also introduce recent advancements and empirical models derived from experimental studies, providing a comprehensive understanding of the physical processes involved. These insights are essential for designing optimized hydro-suction systems tailored to sitespecific conditions, contributing to more effective sediment management in reservoirs worldwide.

Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Infrastructure and the Adaptation Strategies

A number of development activities along the Indian coastal region have led to a variety of coastal infrastructure facilities such as fishing harbors, fish landing centres, major ports, power plants, jetties etc. Further, India, being one of the strongest emerging economies, is planning for huge investment in the marine sector, particularly, in the development of coastal infrastructures. It is expected that India can save up to USD 28 billion in infrastructure spend and another USD 3.3 billion in transportation cost if 50% of overall trade moves closer to ports by 2020. For protecting existing infrastructure and while developing new infrastructure, it is crucial to evaluate the impact of imminent climate change, assess the risk both in terms of space and time 

and develop appropriate adaptation strategies. For example, it is pertinent to evaluate the possible impact of increasing extreme events, cyclonic activities (frequency and intensity) and sea level rise on the coastal infrastructures.

In this context, the DST-CoE-Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Infrastructure and Adaptation Strategies has undertaken projects related to climate change impacts on various coastal infrastructures, water resources, waste management structures, and coastal communities, with the aim of providing necessary adaptation measures. As part of the study, various numerical models have been developed to predict the behaviour of cyclones, waves, and variations in coastal morphology under future climate change scenarios. Through regular beach monitoring and structural health monitoring measures the efforts have been undertaken to identify the climate change impacts in the current scenario on the coastal morphology and coastal infrastructure. Additionally, inundation maps and Coastal Vulnerability Index maps (CVI) have been developed for the coastal infrastructure and community, which can assist policymakers in making informed decisions. The study has also focused on identifying climate-resilient coastal protection measures, encompassing both hard and soft coastal protection strategies. To actively engage and educate coastal communities in adapting to rising sea levels, a framework known as BASEIC has been developed, facilitating Community Based Adaptation (CBA) efforts.

Regarding water security in coastal areas, the research has investigated the effects of climate change on coastal water resources and waste management infrastructure. The study has also proposed suitable adaptation measures such as effective flood management, prevention measures for saltwater intrusion, and climateresilient waste treatment strategies.