Exercise 01 Web Portal Navigation

1. Objective of the Exercise

The objective of this practical exercise is to familiarize participants with the PHARES web visualization portal and enable them to:

• Navigate within the PHARES platform;
• Explore operational hydrological forecast products;
• Select forecast dates and models;
• Locate their country, basin, and hydrological stations;
• Use map navigation tools;
• Interpret streamflow forecast maps;
• Identify potential flood-risk areas.

2. Access to the Platform

Participants should open the PHARES platform using the following link: PHARES Web Portal

3. Overview of the PHARES Interface

The platform interface is composed of several operational components.

Left Control Panel

The left panel contains:

Main Map Window

The central panel displays:

• Hydrological forecasts;
• River networks;
• Streamflow conditions;
• Forecast intensity;
• Flood-risk areas.

Layer Selection Menu

• Participants can:
• Choose variables;
• Activate/deactivate layers;
• Visualize different hydrological products.

Map Navigation Tools

Available tools include:

• Zoom in;
• Zoom out;
• Reset view;
• Pan across the map.

Fig. Overview of the platform

4. Practical Exercise Tasks

• Task 1 – Open the Platform
• Task 2 – Navigate on the Map
• Task 3 – Explore Forecast Dates
• Task 4 – Analyze a Current or Past Event
• Task 5 – Explore Available Models
• Task 6 – Interpret Severity Level Maps
• Task 7 – Identify Flood-Risk Areas
• Task 8 – Analyze Severity Evolution Across Forecast Dates

Task 1 – Open the Platform

Instructions

1. Open the PHARES portal in your browser;
2. Observe the interface structure;
3. Identify:
   • Forecast date;
   • Selected model;
   • Forecast lead times;
   • Main map area.

Task 2 – Navigate on the Map

Instructions

1. Zoom into West Africa;
2. Locate your country;
3. Navigate to your operational basin;
4. Explore nearby river systems.

Expected Outcome

Participants should be able to:

• Move efficiently on the map;
• Identify their country and basin;
• Use zoom tools properly.

Task 3 – Explore Forecast Dates

Instructions

1. In the left panel, select different forecast dates;
2. Observe how the map changes;
3. Compare:
   • Near-term forecasts;
   • Longer lead-time forecasts.

Questions

• Which forecast day shows the highest streamflow?
• Are forecast patterns stable across days?

Task 4 – Analyze a Current or Past Event

Instructions

1. Select :
   • A current forecast date;
   • Or a historical date from the “Historic” section.
2. Compare the situation across dates;
3. Analyze :
   • Evolution of alertes;
   • Expansion/reduction of affected areas;
   • Persistence of flood-risk conditions.

Questions

• How did the event evolve over time?
• Which regions remained under alert conditions?
• Which date corresponds to the most critical situation?

Task 5 – Explore Available Models

Instructions

1. Open the model selection menu;
2. Identify available forecasting models;
3. Switch between models if available.

Discussion

• How do forecasts vary between models?
• What are the advantages of multi-model forecasting?

Task 6 – Interpret Severity Level Maps

Instructions

1. Select the variable: “Streamflow, Severity Level”
2. Observe the severity map displayed on the platform;
3. Analyze the legend located at the bottom of the map;
4. Identify the different alert categories shown on the map.

Severity Level Interpretation Guide

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Color	Severity Level	Interpretation
Light green	Normal	Normal hydrological conditions
Normal hydrological conditions
Yellow	Medium severity	Moderate flood risk
Orange	High severity	Significant flood risk
Red	Very high severity	Severe flood risk requiring immediate attention
Grey	Disqualified alert level	Uncertain or unavailable alert information

Questions

• Which severity level is dominant on the map?
• Are there any areas under high or very high severity?
• Which countries or basins appear most affected?

Task 7 – Identify Flood-Risk Areas

Instructions

1. Explore the severity level map;
2. Identify areas showing:
   • Medium severity;
   • High severity;
   • Very high severity.
3. Zoom into the identified hotspots;
4. Locate:
   • The country;
   • The river basin;
   • Nearby rivers or hydrological features.

Questions - Which area presents the highest flood risk? - Which countries are concerned? - What operational actions could be considered in these areas?

Task 8 – Analyze Severity Evolution Across Forecast Dates

Instructions

1. In the left panel, select different forecast dates;
2. Observe how severity levels evolve from one forecast day to another;
3. Compare:
   • Spatial evolution of alerts;
   • Changes in severity levels;
   • Expansion or reduction of flood-risk areas.

Questions

• Does the flood risk increase or decrease over time?
• Which areas remain under persistent alert conditions?
• Which forecast date shows the most critical situation?