Methodology · Tech article
How 3D flood simulation works in the UAE
Gistin runs a five-stage geospatial pipeline to turn UAE territory data into operational flood-risk decisions — tuned for hyper-arid urban hydrology, wadi non-linearity and sudden-onset extreme rainfall events like April 2024 and March 2026. The methodology below is the one G3DAR applied to win the ESGRS Challenge with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre.
From raw data to action plan
Five traceable steps, reproducible on any area, grounded in international GIS and climatology standards.
- M.01
M.01 · ACQUISITION
Acquisition
GIS surveys, topography, hydrology, satellite imagery and weather feeds consolidated into a single base.
IN ←topohydrosatweatherOUT →unified_geobase - M.02
M.02 · DIGITAL_TWIN
Digital twin
Construction of a high-fidelity digital twin of your area: built environment, networks, vegetation, coastline.
IN ←unified_geobasebuildingsroadsOUT →twin - M.03
M.03 · 3D_SIMULATION
3D simulation
Rain, flood and submersion scenarios played in 3D with real-time, historical and forecast weather up to several hours ahead.
IN ←twinweatherOUT →flood - M.04
M.04 · TARGETED_ALERTS
Targeted alerts
Notifications per building, road, rail line or ecosystem, according to your thresholds and priorities.
IN ←floodthresholdsOUT →alerts_stream - M.05
M.05 · ADAPTATION_PLANS
Adaptation plans
Identification and visualisation of inaccessible and flooded zones to optimise the planning of relief operations.
IN ←alerts_streaminfrastructureOUT →plan
Frequently asked
Methodology — common questions
- How long does a typical pilot take?
- A corridor-scale pilot (one named road or a single municipal zone) is usually scoped at 8–12 weeks from data hand-over to operational alert output. A full emirate-level study takes longer and is scoped in phases.
- What data does Gistin need from the client?
- The minimum is a defined area of interest and access to any client-specific layers we should incorporate (custom building inventories, drainage schematics, sensor outputs). Public GIS layers, satellite imagery and NCM weather feeds we source ourselves.
- Does Gistin replace existing GIS teams?
- No. The methodology plugs into an existing GIS capability — municipal, federal or academic — and supplies the 3D simulation and alerting layers that most in-house GIS teams do not build internally.
- Does Gistin work outside the UAE?
- The methodology generalises to other hyper-arid environments (parts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, North Africa). Our calibration and policy alignment are explicitly UAE-first — we prioritise UAE federal, emirate and municipal clients.
Mission Brief
Let's build together the first climate digital twin of the United Arab Emirates.
Gistin is a young Emirati company. We are looking for pilot projects, public partnerships and academic collaborations.