Environment Agency deploys Wiki-style open source river conservation project
System built by consultancy SFW
By Antony Savvas | Computerworld UK | Published: 09:50, 04 January 2012
The Environment Agency is deploying an open source knowledge management system to compile and share information on around 500 river restoration projects throughout Europe.
The Wiki-style online information source will be used by European government agencies, engineers, ecologists, planners and other parties involved in restoring rivers.
The system, developed by SFW, will support the RESTORE partnership for river restoration in Europe, a project funded by the European Commission's LIFE Programme which supports environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the EU.
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The knowledge management system will link policy makers, river basin managers, river restoration practitioners and other experts to develop the tools and skills to restore rivers and create sustainable river environments, said the Environment Agency.
The system will be built using open source software in combination with the Environment Agency's existing infrastructure, saving on costs. It is due to go live in June 2012.
Antonia Scarr, RESTORE project manager at the Environment Agency, said: "The SFW solution incorporates metadata and a semantic search function to help navigate the mass of information that will be captured, making the system even more valuable for its users."
RESTORE is managed jointly between public organisations in the UK, the Netherlands, Finland, Romania and Italy.
