The signing ceremony of the Yangtze River Simulator and the inauguration ceremony of the Simulator Demonstration Base built by the Chongqing Municipal People's Government and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) kicked off in Guangyang Island on June 10, 2021. After the ceremony, the Expert Evaluation Meeting on the Yangtze River Simulator Master Plan was held on the island. Researchers and experts from the CAS, the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences(IEAS), etc., listened to the detailed report on the Master Plan for the Yangtze River Simulator and had a heated discussion. Experts stated that the innovative and practical Yangtze River Simulator would underpin the early warning of water disasters in the river basin, the assessment of the current status of the water environment and water ecology of the river basin, and the management and regulation of water resources and ecosystems, thus scientifically supporting the long-term planning, management and disaster response of the basin. Therefore, they unanimously agreed on the Plan's approval and suggested its early implementation to clearly define the overall goal of constructing the Yangtze River Simulator and demonstrate its scientific connotation, basic functions, key construction links, and application prospects. 

The Yangtze River Simulator and the inauguration ceremony of Yangtze River Simulator Demonstration Base(photo by Guangyang Island)

What is the Yangtze River simulator?

Yangtze River simulator is a river basin simulation system complete with software and hardware devices built on water system sciences and theories. It targets the Yangtze River basin, takes water circulation in the Yangtze river basin as a link, and realizes the coupling between natural processes and socio-economic processes. "In short, the simulator is a big data-driven comprehensive simulation and regulation decision-making system in the Yangtze River basin." According to Xia Jun, an academician of the CAS, "Yangtze River simulator is a reflection of the positive role of scientific and technological advancements in supporting the comprehensive management of the Yangtze River basin." 

What can the Yangtze River simulator do?

The Yangtze River is the longest among all the rivers in China. The Yangtze River Economic Belt accounts for half of the national total in population and economic aggregate. However, due to global climate change and long-term overdevelopment, the river is now facing a severe ecological environment crisis, so it is urgent to carry out systematic ecological environment management and restoration. With functions in monitoring, simulation, evaluation, early warning, and decision-making support, the simulator can be applied to agriculture, water conservancy, water resources management, shipping, flood control, environmental protection, and other fields and make contributions to the green development goals of China and Extensive Protection of the Yangtze River.

The simulator will work on the 3 most important issues: Use the results of archaeological, paleo-geological, paleo-geomorphic, and paleo-climatic researches in the period of geological time during the Mesozoic era to reproduce the generation and evolution of the water system in the river basin; Based on the comprehensive capability in monitoring and simulating the water system in the river basin to simulate and reproduce the evolution process of the water environment and ecology in the river basin over the past forty years, and conduct a systematic diagnosis of the causes and mechanisms of the water environment and ecology problems in the river basin and put forward comprehensive regulation strategies and specific management measures; Predict the possible climate change scenarios, socio-economic development scenarios, the evolution trends of water environment, and ecology in the river basin under different scenarios to analyze the spatial and temporal differences in green development level in the river basin under different green development paths and propose corresponding regulation countermeasures and policy suggestions.

Experts meeting to discuss the Yangtze River simulator plan( Photo by Guangyang Island)

The Yangtze River simulator is an innovative move to practice General Secretary Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization and an inherent need to promote the development of an ecological civilization. For Chongqing, it is a conscious action to fulfill its responsibilities as an upstream city, a specific measure to implement the Yangtze River protection law, and an impressive practice to play an exemplary role in ecosystem construction. As the simulator is settled in Guangyang Island Area, innovative sci-tech talents, technologies, products, and industries will be attracted to the area at a faster pace.  Meanwhile, the new technology will accelerate Guangyang Island to become "Scenic Focus of the Yangtze River and Chongqing Ecological Island" and "Smart Eco-city." And for developing Guangyang Island into a leading scientific driving force that can support Chongqing's green development and building of an ecological civilization.

Guangyang Island( Photo by Guangyang Island)

How to build the Yangtze River simulator?

The Yangtze River simulator will be built in three phases:

Phase 1: Support the construction of the Great River Civilization Museum and the Smart Guangyang Island; complete the "Past Yangtze River" function display; complete the preliminary development of the "Present Yangtze River" software system, the construction of the computing platform and the preliminary construction of the display platform; and start the construction of the Guangyang Island Field Scientific Observation Station to provide long-term data services for the operation of the simulator.

Phase 2: Expand the scientific research function of the Yangtze River simulator and improve the function of the "Past Yangtze River" module; complete the construction of the real-time field monitoring network in the Yangtze River basin in the "Present Yangtze River"; complete the simulation of the "Future Yangtze River" scenario; put into operation the Guangyang Island Field Scientific Observation Station and promote the industrial applications of the Yangtze River simulator.

Phase 3: Continuously improve scientific research on the water system in the Yangtze River basin, develop a major national research facility, build a Yangtze River simulator sci-tech innovation park, and expand relevant industrial applications.

A design effect picture of the Great River Civilization Museum ( Guangyang Island)

Now, the Yangtze River simulator (Phase 1 and 2) and the Guangyang Island Field Scientific Observation Station are incorporated into the implementation plan of the Smart Guangyang Island (Phase 3), and the hardware such as servers, workstations, and machine rooms (Phase 1) will be constructed synchronously with the Smart Guangyang Island. At present, the overall planning scheme has been demonstrated by experts, and the construction of the machine room environment (Phase 1) has been completed. In the future, the Great River Civilization Museum will provide a display and experience platform for the public to understand the simulator. Besides, the public can be informed about the water quality, volume, and ecology of the main streams of the Yangtze River through the mobile platform. It can also upload the information they get through PC-based or mobile portals to participate in protecting the Yangtze River.