Bureau of Meterology: Geofabric

Date 
Wednesday, 15 February, 2017
Use Type 
Use Case
Summary 

The Bureau of Meteorology is Australia's national weather, climate and water agency. Its expertise and services assist Australians in dealing with the harsh realities of their natural environment, including drought, floods, fires, storms, tsunami and tropical cyclones.

The Bureau’s Improving Water Information Programme is building a comprehensive and reliable picture of Australia’s water resources to support policy and
planning. It collates, manages and publishes water information as part of its water information role and responsibilities under the Water Act 2007. 

Associated Mandate(s) 
Use Case-Requirement Category 
Agency/Working Group or Committee 
Agency Duty 
Independent statutory authority for the management of the Water Act 2007 & Water Regulations 2008
Use case portfolio 

Bureau of Meterology

Activity Diagram 
How spatial Data Assists 

Australia’s rivers, lakes, water storages and catchments are all connected—and understanding these connections is vital for effective management of water resources. The Australian Hydrological Geospatial Fabric (Geofabric) provides a national framework for discovering, reporting and modelling water information.

The Geofabric is a digital database of surface and groundwater features that registers the spatial relationships between important hydrologic features.

Benefit Realised 

The Geofabric is suitable for a wide range of water information applications. Streams can be traced upstream or downstream to identify drainage networks, catchment areas, and other features of interest such as monitoring points and water storages.

These features are used by natural resource managers and the Bureau for water accounting, assessment, modelling and forecasting. The Geofabric provides a standardised authoritative information source that works seamlessly across Australia. It enables efficient and repeatable spatial hydrological capability for streamflow analysis and creation of contributing catchment areas. Using the Geofabric also removes the need to process digital elevation model data.

Version 
1.00