Water scarcity and drought are two of the most serious challenges our planet faces today. And Italy in particular seems to be at the center of an almost dramatic convergence. The quarter from July to September 2022 will mark a very strong lack of rain, extending to all central areas of the Mediterranean.
The result? You know it, you have already seen it on the news: thermal anomalies (up to +3°C) associated with a significant lack of rain equal widespread damage to water resources, agriculture and energy production. We risk, says the ANBI observatory on water resources, water rationing in more than one Italian region.
We need to act quickly
Given the general picture, we need to intervene quickly to examine the ways in which resources are used, and to raise awareness towards greater water efficiency, starting from the industrial sector. There is a technology developed specifically for similar cases, which we told you about , here e , here: these are the “virtual twins”.
Virtual twin technology is a cutting-edge tool that can be used to examine how resources are used and to pre-test solutions at a city or regional scale before applying them to real-world scenarios. A complex system, which requires multidisciplinary approaches and the convergence of different sectors ("diagnostics" through sensors, information technology, artificial intelligence and others). An example applied to urban planning? Check it out here.
From sectors such as healthcare or manufacturing (where they have already been used) virtual twins can now also find space in the optimization of water resources to fight drought.
Virtual experience, real benefit
Water intertwines its fate with all human knowledge. It is not just used to quench people's thirst, or for their personal hygiene: the vast majority of agricultural and manufacturing sectors need this precious resource. In response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which include access to and efficient use of water resources, governments and businesses are seeking solutions to manage such a precious commodity as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Virtual twins are an opportunity that allows manufacturing companies, inventors, customers and stakeholders to work together in a 3D virtual environment to generate new objects and processes without having to use physical prototypes that would require large amounts of natural resources.
Solutions like the platform 3DEXPERIENCE developed by Europe Dassault Systèmes they pave the way for a more sustainable production system. Through the "virtual twins" it will be possible to understand water consumption at every stage of a process.
Towards a virtuous water "supply chain".
“Measuring the water footprint of goods and services from design to production,” he says Guido Porro, Managing Director Southern Europe and CEO Italy of Dassault Systèmes, “as well as their effect at the end of life, the effects will also be immediately reflected on the final consumer".
How? Simple: through greater awareness. An end customer, for example, will be able to choose to purchase items and services designed, produced and transported with a lower water impact. A sort of "certification" that shows the most attentive companies.
There is no better way, if we want to tackle the problem of water scarcity and drought, than to start the change with every single person and every single company. And there is no better way to organize this action than through advanced technologies such as virtual twins.
We will hear about it more and more often.
