The newly launched Opti-SITE project aims to develop innovative methodologies for identifying optimal locations for nature-based stormwater solutions in urban areas, leveraging high-resolution radar data and artificial intelligence (AI). Opti-SITE is a collaborative Swedish-Danish research initiative aimed at strengthening the resilience of the Öresund region.

Urbanisation and climate change have led to increased stormwater volumes in cities, resulting in flooding, overloaded wastewater treatment plants and discharges of untreated wastewater. Many cities face an urgent need to find sustainable solutions for their overburdened stormwater systems.

The Opti-SITE project aims to answer this need by:

• Developing a methodology to identify suitable areas for nature-based stormwater solutions using high-resolution radar data and AI
• Promoting smart climate adaptation and sustainable stormwater management in cities
• Providing a now-casting system to proactively reduce risks

Combining artificial intelligence with nature-based solutions
DHI will develop advanced machine learning models to be incorporated into hydraulic modelling. Our expertise in AI and data analytics will be instrumental in identifying key characteristics of suitable areas for nature-based stormwater solutions. By integrating these insights into machine learning models, DHI aims to determine the most effective infrastructure scenarios that maximise efficient stormwater management while minimising adaptation costs.

‘Nature-based stormwater solutions are efficient climate adaptation measures and can provide multiple benefits to a city, but it is often difficult to find suitable places for implementation in densely populated areas, says Maria Roldin, Project Engineer in Water Supply & Urban Drainage at DHI.

‘With the tools developed within Opti-SITE, we can increase the use of nature-based stormwater management, thus enhancing the transition towards sustainable cities.’

Furthermore, DHI will assume primary responsibility for implementing a decision support system within the project. This system is expected to result in a prototype module integrated into an existing digital platform, supporting decision-makers and consultants in identifying the optimal locations for effective nature-based solutions.

A Swedish-Danish research collaboration  
The Swedish city of Landskrona and a selected area of the Danish city Copenhagen have been selected as case studies for development and tests in the Opti-SITE project. Opti-SITE is funded by Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak, an EU programme focused on promoting cross-border collaboration. The research partners are Sweden Water Research as the main coordinating partner and Aalborg University, the Danish utility HOFOR, Kristianstad University, Lund University and the Swedish utility NSVA.

‘The Interreg Secretariat looks forward to the partnership working on cross-border solutions for a highly relevant topic and developing transnational solutions to a shared challenge. The Opti-SITE application received a record-high quality score of 42 out of a total of 45 points, placing it at the very top within the Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak programme,’ states Niels Boye, Programme Officer at Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak.

DHI is committed to contributing to the success of Opti-SITE by providing innovative solutions that address the challenges of urban stormwater management. Through our involvement, we aim to promote smart climate adaptation and sustainable stormwater infrastructure in cities.