About WebAIS

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WebAIS- the Digital Twin of Agriculture

WebAIS is building Bangladesh’s first Digital Twin of Agriculture—connecting sensors, satellites, crop science, and water models into one unified intelligence system. It turns scattered field data into clear insights on crop water demand, groundwater sustainability, surface-water availability, salinity risks, and climate-driven stresses. By transforming data into decisions, WebAIS empowers farmers, agencies, and national planners to secure water, increase productivity, and build a more resilient agricultural future.

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Our Partners

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Project Goal

The overall goal of the WebAIS project is to strengthen food security and promote national self-reliance in agricultural production by advancing modern, sustainable irrigation technologies, integrating digital and information-based solutions, and ensuring efficient use of water and land resources.

Through evidence-based decision support, improved resource management, and enhanced agricultural productivity, the project aims to improve socio-economic conditions and contribute to long-term poverty reduction in Bangladesh.

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Project Specific Objectives

1. Maximize the use of surface water for irrigation through modern, efficient irrigation technologies. 2. Increase resource-use efficiency 3. Develop a centralized web-based information system 4. Enhance rural livelihoods and contribute to poverty reduction through improved water management and agricultural productivity. 5. Support canal excavation and rehabilitation to expand and strengthen surface-water irrigation systems. 6. Strengthen institutional capacity and higher education for BADC and other relevant government agencies. 7. Provide training for farmers on modern, sustainable irrigation technologies and digital information systems

Why WebAIS is Valuable for Bangladesh’s Agriculture Sector

WebAIS creates the digital backbone of Bangladesh’s agriculture by unifying sensor data, satellite mapping, field experiments, and advanced crop and water models into one system. It delivers detailed crop maps, large-scale groundwater and hydrological assessments, and crop–water demand insights that help farmers and agencies use land, water, and energy more efficiently. Through its Digital Twin platform, WebAIS transforms complex data into practical, resource-smart decisions for a more resilient agricultural future.

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A national agricultural data infrastructure: WebAIS builds a modern, centralized information system that connects sensor networks, satellite data, field experiments, and agency databases — solving long-standing fragmentation in agricultural information.

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Field-level crop mapping across Bangladesh: High-resolution crop maps, updated regularly using Earth Observation and ground surveys, provide detailed insights into cropping patterns, land-use change, and seasonal water demand.

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Groundwater and hydrological models: Advanced MODFLOW, SWAT, and hydrodynamic models offer a deep understanding of groundwater sustainability, surface-water availability, salinity dynamics, and future system behavior.

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Crop models for irrigation and productivity: DSSAT-based crop models simulate crop water requirements, ET, phenology, yield, and management responses — enabling more precise irrigation decisions from field to upazila scale.

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Informed decisions: WebAIS provides crop-water demand, soil moisture status, irrigation needs, water availability insights, and system performance indicators — helping farmers and agencies make the best use of land, water, and energy.

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A unified Digital Twin of Agriculture: By integrating data, models, analytics, and scenario tools, WebAIS delivers an intuitive platform that turns complex information into actionable guidance for farmers, planners, and national agencies.

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WebAIS Project Framework

Our project framework integrates data, models, and tools into one coherent system, ensuring that users can work seamlessly while accessing the information most relevant to their needs.

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Water Scarcity & Food Security

Bangladesh faces mounting pressure from climate variability, groundwater depletion, and increasing food demand. Traditional irrigation practices often lead to water waste, while farmers lack real-time information for optimal decision-making.

WebAIS addresses these challenges by providing data-driven tools that optimize water allocation, improve crop yields, and support sustainable agricultural intensification across diverse agro-ecological zones.

Our Approach

01
Environmental Monitoring

Deploy sensor networks and integrate satellite data to capture real-time environmental conditions.

02
Model Development

Build hydrological and crop models validated with real field measurements.

03
Platform Integration

Combine data streams and models into a user-friendly web-based decision system.

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Stakeholder Engagement

Work with farmers, policymakers, and extension workers to ensure practical implementation.

Our Management Team

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Lars Ribbe

Project Director International

Professor, Integrated Land System, TH Köln, Germany

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Aaron Firoz

Principle Investigator (PI)

Head, Luxembourg Eco-Hydrological Observatory, LIST, Luxembourg.

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Mahfuza Akter

Project Director, National

Executive Engineer, BADC, Ministry of Agriculture.

Contact Information

Lead Institute, Germany

TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences

Institute for Technology and Resources Management (ITT)

Email: lars.ribbe@th-koeln.de

Website: www.th-koeln.de

Prof. Dr. Lars Ribbe, Project Director

Betzdorfer Str. 2, 50679 Cologne, Germany

Funding Agencies, Bangladesh

Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC)

Ministry of Agriculture

Email: pdwebais.tap@gmail.com

Website: www.Webais-bd.com

Mst Mahfuza Akter, Project Director

22, Manik Mia Avenue, Dhaka, 1215, Bangladesh

Inquiries Welcome

We encourage inquiries from collaborators, graduate students seeking research opportunities, and organizations interested in adopting WebAIS approaches to other regions. The project team responds to all serious inquiries within one month.

For media requests, partnership discussions, or questions about specific work packages, please use the contact information above. Annual reports and technical publications are available upon request.

Project Funding & Acknowledgments

TH Köln led University Consortium

In kind contribution for Training, Capacity Building and Higher Education

Government of Bangladesh

Primary funding provided by Ministry of Agriculture, Executing Agency- BADC.

WebAIS represents a commitment to evidence-based agricultural development, international scientific cooperation, and sustainable water resource management. By bridging advanced research with practical implementation, the project aims to deliver lasting benefits for Bangladesh's farming communities and food security.

Why We Are Best From Others

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Digital Technology

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Business Protection

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Data Analysis

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WebAIS represents a commitment to evidence-based agricultural development, international scientific cooperation, and sustainable water resource management. By bridging advanced research with practical implementation, the project aims to deliver lasting benefits for Bangladesh`'s farming communities and food security.