Digital Water
The team of experts from Mendel University in Brno is developing new educational methods focused on digital water. This action will bring the processes related to water in the landscape closer not only to students but also to a wider audience or professional public.
One of the outputs completed so far is an application aimed at teaching the dimensioning of a watercourse bed, but it is designed in such a way that any spatial data can be displayed in it. It enables the “tiling” of large data, which allows the rendering of large surfaces in real time. The data for the visualization is provided by a cloud service, so it can be easily changed by the user without having to program anything. In the next phase of the project, the experts will focus especially on collaboration within virtual reality, which has huge potential for teaching and practical use, for example in crisis management. In addition to the WATERLINE project researchers from the Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology and the Spatial Hub laboratory, several students are also working on the development of new methods.
Digital water is within the framework of the European project WATERLINE under HORIZONT WIDERA call.
Bienvenue en France: Water, Rivers, and the Nation’s Blue Wealth
France is not only known for its culture and landscapes, but also for its advanced water management systems. This video explores France’s major rivers, such as the Seine, Loire, Rhône, and Garonne, their role in transport, agriculture, energy production, and ecosystem support. Learn how lakes, reservoirs, and canals help manage water in a changing climate, and why sustainable water use is key for the future.
Shaped by Water: Natural vs. Regulated Rivers
Rivers have sculpted the landscape for millennia, supporting life and biodiversity. This video compares natural meandering rivers with regulated, engineered channels. Discover how each type affects water flow, flood risk, underground reservoirs, and ecosystems, and learn about the benefits and trade-offs of both in today’s human-altered environments.
The Seine: A Regulated River Shaped by Time and People
The Seine is more than just the river of Paris; it's a historic waterway shaped by centuries of use and modern engineering. This video explores how river regulation has transformed parts of the Seine through straightening, deepening, and reinforcement. Learn about the benefits for flood control, navigation, and infrastructure, as well as the ecological trade-offs.
Benvenuti in Italia: Water, Rivers, and Sustainable Management
Italy’s rivers, lakes, and reservoirs form the lifeblood of a country famous for its beauty and heritage. This video explores Italy’s water systems, from the Po River to the great lakes of Garda, Como, and Maggiore, and their importance for agriculture, industry, and daily life. Learn how Italy balances tradition with modern water management to face the challenges of climate change.
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The Tiber River: Rome’s Meandering Lifeline
Meandering rivers, with their winding paths and dynamic floodplains, play a crucial role in supporting ecosystems and managing water resources. This video explores the benefits and challenges of meandering rivers, including biodiversity support, groundwater recharge, and floodplain connectivity, as well as the difficulties they present for navigation and flood risk management. The Tiber River serves as one example of these natural dynamics in action.
The Tiber River: A Case of Meandering Channel Dynamics
Meandering rivers represent a key form of natural channel evolution, shaped by lateral erosion, sediment deposition, and complex flow structures. This video introduces the ecological and hydromorphological functions of meandering rivers, including biodiversity support, groundwater recharge, and floodplain connectivity. The Tiber River serves as an illustrative example, highlighting both the benefits and management challenges of meandering systems in densely populated and historically significant landscapes.
Meander Hydrodynamics: Erosion, Deposition, and Channel Morphology
This video examines the physical processes governing meander formation and evolution, with emphasis on flow velocity variation, sediment transport, and helicoidal flow. Viewers will learn how lateral erosion on outer banks and deposition on inner banks shape point bars and migrate channel bends. The role of the thalweg versus the channel centerline is clarified, illustrating key distinctions in flow structure and morphological dynamics. Cross-sectional flow profiles provide insight into depth variation, velocity distribution, and sedimentation patterns within meandering channels.
Point Bars in Meanders: Sediment Deposition and Channel Adjustment
Point bars are depositional features that form on the inner banks of meander bends, where flow velocity decreases and sediment is gradually deposited. This video explores the mechanisms behind point bar development, including sediment layering, flow deceleration, and channel morphology. Unlike steep and erosive outer banks (cutbanks), point bars are relatively stable, often supporting vegetation that contributes to sediment retention and landform evolution. The video also highlights how variations in discharge, sediment load, and human interventions, such as damming or channelization, can alter deposition patterns. Understanding point bar dynamics is essential for effective river management and predicting morphological changes in meandering systems.
Entering the VR Quests: Test Your River Knowledge
This video introduces the next stage of your immersive VR experience: interactive knowledge quests. Set across five distinct locations on four continents, these virtual scenes will challenge you to apply what you’ve learned about river morphology, natural meanders, and regulated channels.
Using your VR headset, you'll move through different environments, compare real and engineered rivers, and answer multiple-choice questions directly on virtual panels. Each quest is designed to reinforce core concepts through exploration and active engagement.
This is where theory meets practice, get ready to test your skills in VR!
VR Quest 1: Measuring River Capacity in Regulated and Meandering Channels
This video introduces the first interactive quest inside the VR environment. The challenge focuses on comparing a regulated (straightened) river channel with a naturally meandering one based on total channel length between two fixed points, which serves as a proxy for relative capacity.
Within the VR scene, you will explore two different locations. In the first, you examine a regulated river segment. In the second, a meandering river. In both, your task is to measure the length of the river centerline between two 3D markers placed exactly 2.5 km apart in a straight line.
Once both measurements are complete, you must decide which river has the greater effective capacity disregarding depth and width and submit your answer within the virtual panel.
This quest is part of a series designed to test your understanding of river morphology in an immersive spatial environment. Use your VR headset to interact directly with river geometry and test your applied knowledge.