A Network-centric Modeling Approach for Infrastructure Interdependency

This paper discusses the process of designing a spatial “knowledgebase” for infrastructure interdependency. Infrastructure interdependency is a new field of research that deals with interrelationships between critical infrastructure sectors in disaster management. The design and implementation of a spatial knowledgebase that mimics interrelationships between selected critical infrastructure sectors are conducted. This paper contributes to the field of disaster and emergency management by using a network-centric modeling approach and by implementing an infrastructure interdependency knowledgebase in a WEBGIS environment for effective decision-making process, using the historical scenario of Hurricane Hazel, the well-known hurricane in Canadian history that struck Toronto on 15 October 1954. Introduction A knowledgebase is an organized body of knowledge that provides a formal logical specification for the interpretation of information (Dai et al., 2004). Knowledge about a particular system mainly depends on how this system is observed. The term knowledge synthesis denotes a collection of knowledge sources relevant to the problem at hand (Christakos et al., 2002). Knowledge syntheses provide efficient support for emergency management decision-makers. A spatial knowledgebase for infrastructure interdependency provides: (a) dynamic and interactive data access for modeling and visualization; (b) spatially explicit knowledge; (c) scalable data handling; and (d) rule-based data processing and information sharing mechanisms. Many researchers (e.g., Huang et al., 2004; Quinn et al., 2005; Suzuki et al., 2004; Bryan, 2003; Knebl et al., 2005) have used a spatial knowledgebase for solving environmental problems. A scenario-based approach for the design and development of a spatial knowledgebase for infrastructure interdependency during emergencies is employed in this paper. The first level entails scenario modeling by integrating a geographic information system (GIS) with hydraulic modeling tools based on the historical flooding scenario associated A Network-centric Modeling Approach for Infrastructure Interdependency Rifaat Abdalla, C. Vincent Tao, Qiuming Cheng, and Jonathan Li with Hurricane Hazel, the most famous hurricane in Canadian history that struck Southern Ontario on 15 October 1954 (TRCA, 2004). The second level transforms information obtained from the flood model and integrates it with all related emergency management information needed in the knowledgebase. Infrastructure interdependency is defined as link between two or more critical infrastructure systems in which any disturbance on of these systems significantly disturb the operation of other sectors. However, there is no consensus as to a precise definition for the set of activities and operations that shape the field of infrastructure interdependency. Currently there is a limited understanding of Canada’s infrastructure interdependencies, infrastructure vulnerabilities, and the methods for measuring and quantifying these relationships. This is due to the increasing complexity of, and interconnectedness among, infrastructures, which has resulted in a number of different interdependencies. These interdependencies have introduced new vulnerabilities and risks. Study Area and Datasets Floods are one of the greatest natural disasters in Canada with severe storms being the next most important. In the twentieth century, flooding caused over $3 billion USD in damages and took at least 198 lives in Canada. Flooding occurs whenever water due to rain or snowmelt accumulates faster than soils can absorb it, or rivers can carry it away. Historically, Ontario is known to have undergone a very high rate of flooding (PSEPC, 2002). Between 1900 and 2002, Ontario had the highest frequency of flood events (22 percent) of any of the provinces and territories in Canada (e.g., New Brunswick 14 percent, Quebec 13 percent, Manitoba 11 percent and the rest of Canada 40 percent). By the end of Hurricane Hazel more than 285 mm of rain had fallen on the already saturated ground and caused the most severe flooding in Canada’s history. In its aftermath, 81 people died and over 4,000 families were left homeless in Ontario. The total cost of the destruction in Canada was estimated at $100 million USD, the equivalent of about $1 billion USD today. This was recorded as the most erratic hurricane in Canadian history (Kennedy, 1979). Water Survey of Canada, National Water Quantity Survey Program at Environment Canada (http://www.wsc.ec.gc.ca/) provides Data Products and Services, Water Level, and Streamflow Statistics. Figure 1 shows the water surface level PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEER ING & REMOTE SENS ING J u n e 2007 681 Rifaat Abdalla and C. Vincent Tao are with the GeoICT Lab, Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada ([email protected]; [email protected]). Qiuming Cheng is with the Center for Research in Earth and Space Science York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada ([email protected]). Jonathan Li is with the Department of Geography, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 Canada ([email protected]). Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing Vol. 73, No. 6, June 2007, pp. 681–690. 0099-1112/07/7306–0681/$3.00/0 © 2007 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing WWGIS-022 3/5/07 5:29 PM Page 681