The Environmental Observation Network (EON) establishes a modern, integrated field monitoring system across Bangladesh. It provides real-time data on soil, water and climate that feeds directly into the WebAIS models and digital platform, forming the environmental backbone of the Digital Twin of Agriculture.
Scientific Objectives
Establish a robust environmental observation network that captures soil, water and climate dynamics across representative agricultural regions in Bangladesh.
Develop a harmonised digital database and collection system that ingests, stores and validates high-frequency field observations.
Build and operate the WebAIS digital platform as the central interface for visualising, exploring and sharing environmental information.
Integrate model outputs (hydrology, groundwater, crop, salinity, etc.) into the WebAIS platform to support data-driven decision-making for irrigation and water management.
Execution Framework
T1. Installation of the environmental stations
Design and deployment of the physical monitoring network in collaboration with national partners.
- Site selection and classification of pilot regions (hydro-climatic and agro-ecological zones).
- Procurement and configuration of climate stations, soil moisture sensors, groundwater loggers and water-level sensors.
- Development of installation guidelines, mounting concepts and power supply solutions.
- On-site installation, calibration and test measurements with local engineers.
- Handover of operation and basic maintenance routines to BADC and other field teams.
T2. Development of a digital database system & data collection
Creation of the backbone for structured data collection, storage and quality control.
- Design of database schema for environmental time series and metadata (stations, sensors, calibration).
- Development of automated data ingestion pipelines from loggers, telemetry units and manual uploads.
- Implementation of QC/QA routines (range checks, spike detection, sensor status flags).
- Configuration of user access, roles and data governance rules for partner institutions.
- Training of database operators and field teams on data entry, validation and export.
T3. WebAIS digital platform development
User-facing components of WebAIS, providing maps, dashboards and tools for exploring environmental information.
- Design of the WebAIS user interface, navigation structure and thematic pages.
- Development of interactive map views for stations, groundwater levels, river flows and climate indicators.
- Implementation of time-series dashboards and basic analytics (trends, comparison between sites).
- Development of secure APIs to connect the database with the WebAIS frontend and external systems.
- User testing and refinement with BADC, ministry representatives and technical partners.
T4. Model result integration into the WebAIS system
Connecting environmental observations with modelled information for scenario analysis and decision support.
- Definition of data interfaces between hydrological, groundwater, crop and salinity models and the WebAIS database.
- Post-processing and standardisation of model outputs (spatial grids, time series, scenario ensembles).
- Integration of model layers into the WebAIS map views and dashboards (e.g. water balance, irrigation demand).
- Development of scenario comparison tools (baseline vs. improved management, climate stress years).
- Documentation and guidelines for model integration workflows and future extensions.
Project Milestones
Core environmental monitoring stations installed and operational at all pilot sites, including calibration and documentation.
Central database established with regular data inflow and first validated historical datasets available for analysis.
Initial version of the WebAIS digital platform online, providing map-based access to real-time and historical environmental data.
First model runs (groundwater, river flow, crop water demand) integrated into the WebAIS platform for selected regions.
Training sessions and user feedback workshops with national agencies to refine tools, visualisations and workflows.