The system has been developed through a series of applications to:

• the River Thames in England;
• the Lerma-Chapala basin in Mexico;
• the West Bank and Gaza in Palestine;
• the Kelantan River in Malaysia
• a series of case studies (Cyprus, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco)
  around the Mediterranean within the framework of the INCO projects SMART and OPTIMA
• The Yangtze river in China;
• The Nile basin for training application under the World Bank funded Nile Basin Initiative;
• The Murrumbidgee river in New South Wales, Australia.

WaterWare is implemented in an open, object-oriented client-server architecture, it supports the seamless integration of numerous tools, databases and models into a common, easy-to-use framework.

This basic now fully web-based framework includes a multimedia user interface with Internet access, a hybrid GIS with hierarchical map layers, object data bases, time series analysis, reporting functions, an embedded expert system, and a hypermedia help- and explain system. From a users point of view, WaterWare consists of a central multimedia information systems component with GIS and data bases that provides access to a number of analytical tools.

A selection of llustrative interface examples of the web based implementation can be found in the

WaterWare Image gallery

The system integrates information systems components built around a

• hybrid GIS and
• object-oriented data bases
  for a set of river basin objects including a set of tools for monitoring time series management and analysis,
• set of linked simulation models

Linked to this data layer are a set of models, that can perform scenario analysis, i.e., answer WHAT--IF and HOW--TO questions for various water quantity and quality issues, as well as related engineering, environmental, and economic aspects. WaterWare includes a number of simulation and optimization models and related tools, such as:

• a rainfall-runoff and water budget models
• an irrigation water demand estimation model
• a graphical river network editor
• dynamic and stochastic water quality models
• a groundwater flow and transport model
• a water resources allocation model
• an expert system for environmental impact assessment.
• a range of external models, for applications such as
  • erosion, sediment transport
  • water quality, including coastal water quality
  • groundwater flow and transport

These tools are embedded into a user interface that translates the specific functionality of a given model into a decision support tool: the components models and tools are restructured in terms of decision variables and performance variables, relating to the objectives, criteria, and constraints of various decision problems.

WaterWare is a modular and data driven system. It can be configured for customized installation with different sets of models and tools. Through shared data formats, and the respective filter programs, third-party tools can be used with the system for special tasks, for example, image processing or statistical analysis of observation data. Standard interfaces to data bases and the GIS make the integration of additional new models easy.

WaterWare is available as a customized turn-key system optionally including data preparation or training, under an open-ended, non-transferable site license with optional maintenance and support agreements; individual modules on top of the base system can be added as required.

The development ToolKit libraries and the main programs in source code, allowing user to add their own models and tools, are also available. For remote support and maintenance, Internet access (e-mail, ftp, telnet) is highly recommended.

The system is also available under a one year limited trial license, that can be upgraded into an open-ended license with full credit for the trial license.

The current developments concentrate on a new client-server architecture that will allow to link various information resources including on-line monitoring and telemetry, as well as high-performance computing for demanding model applications. At the same time, the client-server architecture will also support access through Intra/Internet browser software (HTML, JavaScript, Java) for distributed, remote PC/NC clients.